


Give Me Dopamine

by lobadelaluna



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst and Feels, Break Up, Consensual Non-Consent, F/M, Good Wood, Mental Breakdown, Pre-Split, Seduction, Sips and Whips, personality change, snowbird
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2018-05-31 04:10:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 24,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6455197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lobadelaluna/pseuds/lobadelaluna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I wanted to come up with a good and creative summary for this fanfiction and I realized I didn't have one yet. Maybe I'll figure out one once this is finished. Snowbird is one of my favorite RWBY ships and I hope this fanfiction does them justice. I'm really rooting for these two!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Oh to Be a Schnee

**Author's Note:**

  * For [White Devil](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=White+Devil).



_Oh how it must be to be a Schnee._

Winter felt she was glowering. It was something she had learned to do while at Beacon. People didn’t like her. It was kind of…understandable. She probably wouldn’t like her either. In fact, she didn’t. Being rich wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

And then, there was him. She had seen him a few times around the academy. He was in the trees. Sometimes he was a crow. Sometimes he wasn’t. But she always got this feeling he was watching her…except he wasn’t.

She had hoped to please her father enough by proving she could do better than her expectations suggested. But it did nothing. Perhaps being a huntress wasn’t good enough. How much higher did her standards have to go in order to prove herself? A day’s worth of training would put a strain on her. She was born with a natural righty. In order to give herself an advantage, she practiced everything with her left hand. If she wasn’t working twice as hard, it wouldn’t be worth it. But every night she sat at the bottom of the shower, wondering if it really was worth it.

Qrow: 

There was a bet some of the other guys were making lately. He had overheard it between coffee breaks. Something about who would be the first to deflower a daughter of Schnee? That of course would be impossible. Winter, that was her name, was too guarded. Interestingly, she was pretty much head and shoulders above the rest of her class. She had some real talent.

He was never really interested in the matters of the rich. Granted the Schnee family made a monopoly of the Dust business, which was more or less unforgiveable. But that was something that was out of his control. At least they didn’t control the liquor business. He shook his flask and was disappointed to find it half-empty.

_Less liquor equals more problems._

That was his motto. He could care less about a spoiled bitch was doing with her life. He had a meeting with Ozpin in about 15 minutes. Might as well show up early. It was slightly out of character for him, but Ozpin knew he’d be there. Qrow was a man of his word after all.

Sometimes he wondered if he should stop drinking so much. Then someone would say something stupid and he’d reach for his flask. It was an instinct for him now. _Maybe it’s too late to quit._ He thought.

On his way to the elevator he passed a white-haired girl in the hallway.

_White hair huh? Must be a Schnee_.

The hair color was unique to the family itself. Such a pure trait was carefully groomed into the bloodline, most likely avoiding incestuous implications along the way. Genetics proved they were a competent, exceptional family. He shook his head to get the thoughts out and focused on the meeting he was traveling to.

…

_If I wanted to waste my time I would’ve gone to the damn tavern!_ Qrow thought sourly as he exited the elevator. Apparently the only task he had been given for the time-being was to watch over Winter Schnee. He’d rather deal with Death Stalkers than be some bodyguard to a heiress brat. Their first meeting would be tomorrow morning before classes. This wasn’t going to be fun at all.

Winter arrived 10 minutes after he did the next day. She wore her silver-white hair in a loose ponytail over her left shoulder with a crystal pin in the shape of a snowflake in her hair. She had nice eyes, that was going for her. Her face was somewhat dainty, not particularly princess-like but definitely attractive. But what struck him were her legs. She wore black thigh-high socks so long they left only a few choice inches of bare skin between the top of her stockings and the hem of her decidedly short skirt. _I hope she decided to wear bike shorts or somebody’s getting an eyeful._

“Qrow, this is Winter,” Ozpin began, snapping him out of his perverted thoughts. “You will be shadowing her these next few semesters.” He noted the man used the word “shadowing” instead of “guarding”. Perhaps it was a way to make her feel more independent? He opted not to say anything except nod with his arms crossed. Winter looked somewhat intimidated. Not exactly shy, but not especially confidant. Qrow had seen the way her pupils dilated for a moment. He knew exactly what that meant.

_Oh no_.

He knew he was attractive. Women fawned over him. His sister Raven had banged her head against the wall MANY times when he brought up the number of love notes he had received at the academy. It got to the point he started throwing them away out of boredom. The issue was…those were women his own age, maybe a little older. Winter couldn’t be any more than eighteen, not that it made him feel any better. He didn’t have much interest in youngbloods. Glynda was more his type.

Winter was so immature-looking and decidedly colorless. He was beginning to think this would be less of a challenge than he figured. Oh no! He was missing some of the instructions!

“She’ll have your number on dial so she can communicate with you if necessary. I would recommend your contacting her be limited,” it was Glynda speaking this time. He knew better than to ask directly why he was put up to the task.

“Why couldn’t you get someone else to do it?” he rasped carelessly. “I’m sure there are more qualified ‘people’ for this job. Am I even getting paid for this?” Glynda bristled invisibly. He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I’m sure the little lady can take good care of herself.”

“I’m eighteen!” Winter interjected. Her face turning red with embarrassment.

Perhaps she didn’t take to being called “little lady”.

“I don’t recall asking your age, little lady”, he shot back. Winter clenched her jaw. 

"Don't call me that!" she spat.

"Oh hoo, I'm sorry. I forgot who I was speaking to. Shall I call you 'snow lady' instead?" he kept himself from grinning too widely. His task was complete. She hated him now. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Winter:**

Winter hated taking baths. Sitting in the tub meant she had to take time out to think about what was happening around her. Her teammates were all smart and capable, surely to become great hunters and huntresses one day. And then there was her. She supposed she was measuring up, or at the very least she was keeping neck in neck with them. Her conversations with her father were proving otherwise. 

"Your last match was sent to me and I counted at least 3 mistakes that could've ended it for you," He had said. She came so close to just hanging up on him. But she needed the money. Or did she? Did he even know what he was talking about? He wasn't a hunter...at least not anymore. Not until his forefathers discovered money was a great way to control things. 

"Yes, Father. I will do better next time", was all she could muster.

"Sound like a piece of work", came a raspy voice behind her. She could smell liquor on him, possibly spiced Burmore. Her father smelled like it from time to time.

"You sound like you're drunk", she replied curtly, not bothering to turn and face him. Instead she went the other way. It was Saturday, and she had no classes. That meant she could go and train and practice. It was almost funny how that was the first thing that came to her mind. 

"Off to practice are you? On a Saturday too? Don't you have any friends?" he sounded like he was walking right beside her. Her tongue immediately tied. Her teammates had her number. They could contact her whenever they wanted. If they were having fun, surely they'd invite her, right? Her lack of answer must've told him everything. "The way I see it you have a few choices. One, skip out on it and enjoy yourself. Two, go ahead and train and get one step ahead of the group at the expense of your happiness---"

"How do you know I'm not happy?" she snapped, whirling around to find him standing behind her just out of reach.

"I don't. You're right", he put his hands up mischievously, "But that dad of yours seems pretty demanding. I wouldn't keep up a relationship like that. Even if he owned all the dust in the world."

She wanted to chastise him for his lax use of words concerning her father, but he was right. It didn't matter how many positive marks she had sent home. The trophies were meaningless. He had never even said a "well done" to her. Not once. It occurred to her that everything she was doing might very well be for nothing. She just stood there with her hands at her sides. She was at her third year at Beacon. Didn't that count for something. 

Wordlessly she turned on her heel and walked back to her dorm. Completely forgetting about Qrow in the process. She hated to admit he was right about one thing: Her father was demanding. And what was it doing to her personally? She had never really thought about it until now. 

**Qrow:**

She seemed on the border of an existential crisis. He grinned to himself as she walked away. He decided against following her for now. She'd be fine, maybe. He ran his hands through his hair and went in the opposite direction. His only job was to shadow her after all. If she was as smart as he believed she was, then she'd make the right choices on her own and choose her own path. Sometimes that's all it took for someone to get their life in order.

Now, which way was the Tavern?

He was three drinks in when he heard his scroll go off. It was her, he could tell by the ringtone. He half-considered letting it ring until it stopped but then remembered the reason she could contact him in the first place. 

"Hello?" he rasped into the receiver.

"Mr. Qrow? This is Winter," her voice came from the other end. 

 


	3. Get Out

"Wadaya want Snowy?" he slurred, trying to balance his drink well enough to down the last of it before he had to reply again. Cinnamon and Rusty's Hard Cider? He'd have to get some the next chance he stopped by.

"I have a...question," she hesitated, he could hear her breathing, "How do you...have fun?" Qrow almost spit his drink. In fact, he ended up snorting it through his nose completely burning his senses.

 _Shit! That burns!_ He thought painfully. At the same time he was choking back laughter. It was only fitting a daughter of the Schnee family wouldn't know how to enjoy herself. 

"Are you serious?" he managed to regain his formal tone---well, as formal as it gets for a guy like him. He didn't know how long he could hold it up though.

"Well, yes---don't laugh at me, it's serious!" she must've caught his snide tone. He remained silent. "Can you meet me at the cafe?" Qrow said it would give him 15 minutes. It took him 5 minutes to stop laughing.

He discovered Winter still in her school uniform sitting in the corner of the cafe. She seemed uncomfortable, her legs crossed at the ankles with her hands fidgeting with the teacup in front of her. She liked to turn it, he observed. First she'd turn it clockwise, then she'd turn it counterclockwise. And repeat. Damn, this little lady was proper, even when fidgeting. He shook his head and swaggered to the seat at the head of her table. He lazily took the chair and turned it backwards before flopping into it. Winter was still looking into her cup before he cleared his throat. 

"So. Explain this to me: how does the daughter of the wealthiest man in Remnant  **not** know how to have fun?" he inquired. She looked up suddenly. It was almost too quick to notice, but their eyes met and she clearly didn't want them to. They were this dull blue color that reflected her lackluster nature. He decided then and there that he disliked those eyes almost as much as he disliked her. He was finding more and more reasons to keep her out of his favor. 

"I-I just never gave it much thought," her voice shook a little. He liked it better when she was snapping at him. "I just didn't have much time to realize that I wasn't enjoying myself."  _Well, fuck,_ Qrow thought to himself. He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, letting out an exasperated sigh.  _I guess even the rich fail to raise their young._ He had always assumed that rich people were always enjoying themselves at every turn. When you had money that's what you did. Or so he thought. 

Winter seemed to cringe inwardly, as if trying to avoid a particular memory.

 **Winter** :

Her hand twitched involuntarily, as if it were struck by something. She recalled the many times her hand was struck by a teacher. It was always just enough to make her flinch but not enough to make her cry. At the end of the day she'd end up crying anyway. Her right hand hurt the most. Even though it was her natural dexterity, her father seemed embarrassed that she couldn't use her left hand as well as her right. Two hours a day alone were spent on changing that. Of course, she couldn't tell Qrow that. And so she lied and he bought it.

She didn't like making eye contact with Qrow. She didn't like the man who was perpetually drunk and lacked tact. She wanted to study him, but his eyes were always watching. She hated that. She hated meeting people that made her uncomfortable and she didn't know why. Him smelling of booze didn't help either. And yet...he came out to see her because she asked. He could've said no. Maybe he cared?

"Are you shitting me?" he blurted in disbelief. She glared at him---well not quite  _at_ him. She was far enough away that she could look at his forehead and not his eyes. 

"I'm not lying", she insisted, forcefully slapping her hands palms down on the table, "I'm not making this up!" He snickered at her. She felt her face burning.

_I knew it. I knew it was a mistake to ask him. Why did I do that? I could've asked ANYONE else. Why did it have to be him?_

Winter regained her composure and took a sip of tea. Had she ever had an outburst like that? Her hand was shaking. She immediately put the cup back down. Her mind drew several blanks as she stared into her cup. The pattern on the bottom was beginning to show through the tea as it was almost gone. Qrow said nothing, or at least she thought he wasn't saying anything. 

_It was a simple mistake. That's all._ _You can leave and pretend like nothing happened._

"I'm sorry to have wasted your time," she mumbled as she stood up, leaving behind some money for a tip. She didn't even realize her cheeks were wet until a breeze came.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Winter:**

She ended up in the shower again, not entirely sure how she got there. She stood there leaning against the wall, biting her lip and staring into the showerhead. She didn't care if she got water in her eyes. Qrow laughed at her, so what? Why did it bother her so much? Her heartbeat had slowed down a bit and it was more normal. She hated him. She made up her mind on that. Winter reached for the knob and turned off the water. The dripping slowed to a stop. 

Suddenly she heard the dorm's door open and voices could be heard. 

"Woohoo! That was a blast! Did you see the look on his face?" Namir shouted. She heard hands collide in a high five.

"I definitely will be doing that again!" that was Sage. If she was there, Odette was there as well. 

"Where's Winter?" Odette's sing-song voice came from the doorway.

"Probably practicing", Namir sniffed flippantly, "That's all she ever does anyway." A chorus of affirmation followed.

"Who cares what she does? She'd probably get in the way of our fun, at least she's not the team leader."

Winter clasped a hand over her mouth, not in disbelief, she figured that's what they thought of her already. She supposed in some way she hoped it wasn't true. She slowly sat down at the bottom of the shower, pulling her towel with her. 

"That stupid virgin Schnee. I kind of feel sorry for her." Namir spoke again, "All that money and she still ain't shit." 

 _'So that's the way it goes eh? The stupid virgin Schnee. What a name.'_ She thought sourly. She pulled herself up to her full height and wrapped herself in the towel.  _'Well, I guess this is a sign.'_ Perhaps it was embarrassment. Perhaps it was resentment. Whatever it was, she was sick of it. 

_A Schnee must always maintain her composure._

She carefully padded her way to the door and turned the knob.

_A Schnee must always be in control of her words._

She opened the door and carefully examined the faces of her teammates. Each of them completely dumbfounded. Winter propped herself against the door, carefully folding her arms, expression unchanging.

"I guess you're right Namir, all that money and I still ain't shit," Her eyes turned to the dark-skinned man who immediately began stuttering. She held up a hand. "Thanks for letting me know." 

...

She walked away from the situation more calmly than she meant to. The night was still young and she still had some things she wanted to do. Odette and Sage were apologizing frantically but she didn't pay them any mind as she changed her clothes. She assured them she wasn't going to sue. Money can buy you a lot of things, but it can't buy you respect. Her father always believed that the more money you lined  your pockets with, the more respect you garnered. He also seemed to ignore the fact he was the laughingstock of the whole world.

With that knowledge Qrow laughing at her didn't seem so bad. 

"Now Winter, what do you know about having fun?" she asked herself blandly. She studied her reflection in the shop window as she walked by. She looked stupid in her school uniform, but she didn't have anything else besides formal dresses and "rich girl clothes". If she were to buy more, what kind of clothes did she want? Had she been so cooped up in the rich lifestyle that she didn't even know what clothes she wanted?

**Qrow:**

The Schnee girl was interesting, walking around town at night, in her uniform no less. She stuck out like a sore thumb, white hair especially. He sat on a branch and waited for the right moment to reveal himself. She didn't know it, but he had followed her back to her dorm and out into the town. Sure she was upset when she left, but she wasn't going to stay that way. Qrow knew these sorts of things about women and girls, they rarely stayed mad...except when they did.

"Now Winter, what do you know about having fun?"

 _Guess that's my cue._ He transformed while her back was turned.

"If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say you didn't know much about fun at all", he stated matter of factly, crossing his arms. Winter turned around startled.

"When---how?" she gestured in a truly perplexed matter. He loved pulling that prank.  _Works like a charm._

"Never mind that Snowpunk," he said carelessly, placing his hands in his pockets and walking alongside her, "You know don't know shit about being normal, do ya?" She sighed in defeat, crossing her arms behind her as she walked. Her expression was something of a mix between sadness and disappointment

"I ain't shit either", came her crass reply. He was momentarily startled by her language.

"What the---?" he blurted, "Since when does a daughter of Schnee talk like that?" Winter shrugged and crossed her arms. A few minutes of silence passed. Apparently she was good with silence. They continued walking until they came to the cafe again. He supposed this was going to be a common thing for them. 

...

"They made fun of me you know", she began after a deep breath. She turned her cup clockwise. "I...heard them talking when they came back from wherever." She chuckled humorlessly. He wished he was half-listening, but she had his full attention. That probably wasn't in his job description, listening to teen girls talk about their problems. But then again...this Schnee wasn't a regular girl. Except when she turned that damn teacup. 

"Is that right?" He gruffed as he pulled out his flask and poured it into his coffee cup. He brought it up to his lips to take a drag of vanilla and brandy when she decided to speak again.

"You know what they called me? A stupid virgin!" she spat as she pounded her fist on the table. And suddenly he wished he'd waited. Qrow Branwen did something he never did: a spit take.

"I'm sorry, just a moment," he held up his hand as he took a breath before deciding to take a drag from his flask, "Okay I think I'm good." The truth was he wasn't good. Who the hell just admits that kind of information in front of a grown man? She was a complete idiot. _I think I need another drink. I need something stronger._ He emptied the last of his flask and drank his coffee but he still couldn't recover his bearings. He was aware that Winter was watching him and he was out of alcohol. He didn't have any choice. He coughed once, "What's up with that? Pretty wild huh?" This was awkward. Winter seemed to realize the gravity of what she had said.

"I'm---I'm sorry! I didn't mean to--" she began, but Qrow cut her off.

"Don't worry about that. They're just saying that," he waved a hand.  _Change the subject._ "What you need to do is find yourself and figure out who you are and what you want. It'll make more sense later." Damn this was hard. She watched him intently. She was actually paying attention. Her hands were still and her expression was that of someone who wanted help and was willing to take it from wherever she could get it. Her eyes were watching.

"And what if I don't know what I want?" she whispered as if to herself. She seemed to stare off into the distance, unsure of what she should say or do next. 

"You should probably sleep on it", he suggested. She thankfully agreed. 

He needed another drink.

...

"Qrow, how could you let yourself be seen in public with the daughter of Schnee?" Glynda was full of tranquil fury. She smacked her open palm with her crop, grasping it tightly.

"Calm your tits Goodwitch, it was a one-time thing", Qrow growled indignantly. Ozpin was in silent contemplation.

"All it takes is  _one time_ ", she spat, sounding more suggestive than she clearly meant to. His mind went back to Winter's clueless admission of her virginity. He had no reason to not believe that she didn't have her first time. But this was a different matter. 

"One time until what? Schnee realizes his daughter is a friendless dunce?" he shot back. He was defending her now, not that he really wanted to. He just wanted to get the focus off of him. Glynda was gritting her teeth.

"Now Qrow, that wasn't necessary," Ozpin interjected, standing from his desk.

"What is necessary is **you** putting **me** on other assignments," he was arguing now, "I can be doing better things than babysitting!" He didn't become a huntsman to be in this position. Where was his flask? He reached for it only to realize it was empty. He must've left it in his room.  _I'm going for a refill after this_. 

"It's not babysitting, it's an assignment", Glynda interjected, glaring at him. He knew that glare. He had seen it many times when she was driving home a point. It was useless to be angry at this point. 

"I know this is hard for you", Ozpin relented, "We assigned you because we knew you could do the job. Think of your niece Ruby and how you've been raising her. Winter needs that kind of direction." Qrow was silent.  _But why me?_ He thought about asking but he knew there was no point to ask any more questions. Instead he turned on his heel to leave.

"It won't happen again", he muttered under his breath just loud enough to be heard. 

...

 


	5. Lets Maintain Our Composure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is incomplete but I'm publishing it now so I don't forget it. When Chapter 6 is published, make sure to come back and re-read this chapter before continuing.

**Winter:**

She was the first person out of the classroom and out of the building when classes ended. The first thing she wanted to do was take her hair out of that proper bun she had given herself that morning. It was decidedly uncomfortable and made her look like a prude. She was a virgin after all. That insult was the one that stuck to her the most.  _Stupid virgin Schnee._ She had to admit it kind of had a ring to it. But it was only half of the truth. 

Winter wondered why the truth bothered her so much. Why in the world was she wondering about this? Of course it was because of her upbringing. Protection from Grimm and shelter from the cold were one thing. But her father couldn't protect her from the eyes of people or their opinions. Money couldn't do a lot of things. Now she felt a sense of paranoia because now she was aware that people were talking about her and it wasn't in a good way.

_Oh how it must be to be a Schnee._

Oh how indeed.

"Winter!" she heard Odette shouting behind her. Winter turned to the another pale-haired girl running to catch up with her. "Wait up!" She stopped to let her catch up. Odette was a little shorter than she was and she had incredibly pale blonde hair that was almost white. She had a very slim figure and looked like a doll that might break if you touched her. Right now she was very pink in the cheeks and nearly out of breath, she bent over to catch her breath and when she regained her composure, her green eyes sparkled.

"I...was...wondering...what you were up to", she huffed, "Because I wanted to apologize for what I said yesterday." She was standing up to her full height now, recovered and smiling. She was always kind of obnoxious when she did that.

"Well...don't worry about apologizing. I don't care much for them," Winter replied simply, "If you want to know what I'm up to---" her train of thought was interrupted by the sight of a crow flying overhead. That was slightly out of place and she almost mistook it for a nevermore. She returned her attention, "If you want to know what I'm up to, I'm going into town. You can come with if you want."

"Really!?" Odette outright shrieked with excitement. "I would love to!" The Schnee girl was slightly taken aback by the enthusiasm. She was only planning to go shopping. Was this what commoners enjoyed so much? Most of her clothes were handmade by seamstresses hired by the family. 

Once in town Winter did her best to open up more. It surprised her how little she was used to saying.  _Children should be seen and not heard and if you must speak make it brief!_ Ah, no wonder.

"Do you enjoy doing anything that's not studying or fighting?" Odette asked pointedly.  _She certainly didn't waste any time,_ Winter quipped inwardly. It was painfully obvious she didn't think much about having her own personal enjoyment.

"Honestly, I'm not sure," she replied honestly, stopping in her tracks in front of a store, "I don't know anything about enjoying myself because that was never a priority." She nodded for emphasis. Odette's eyes widened in curiosity. "And that's why I want you to help me out, as my teammate and hopefully...friend." Winter held out her hand not entirely sure if that was the correct gesture to use but figured her inexperience could be an excuse. Odette stared at her for a moment, likely shocked (she hoped) at the gesture. Then she reached forward and grasped her hand firmly.

"You've got my full support Winter!" she beamed.  _I guess this is how friendships start._ Winter mused.

...

If there was something Winter Schnee was unfamiliar with, it was shopping. Figuring out her actual tastes was a challenge. All the clothes on the racks and colorful accessories and shoes were putting her into extreme sensory overload.  _I need to slow down. What would Qrow tell me to do? Probably to go home and shut up._ Her thought process became a little bit unhinged. It occurred to her that she had been thinking about the man that was constantly drunk and clearly beneath her...except he definitely had more to him than he let on. 

"Hey Odette," she inquired absentmindedly as she fingered through a rack of skirts, "What kind of guys do you like?" 

"Eh! You have someone you like!" she exclaimed excitedly bouncing up and down. She clasped her hands together, "Who is it?" Odette glared intently, eagerly waiting for a reply.  _Well shit._

"Um...I'm not sure. I---don't know my type yet!" the words came before she could stop them.  _But wait, that's true though! I don't know my type._ She was starting to feel silly. At home it was likely her father was going to pick someone out for her. That was likely the way all Schnee marriages were arranged. Was love even a thing in her family?

_Wow that escalated quickly._

"Eh, well, if you get out more you're likely to meet your match," came her reply. Brief and to the point; it was likely that was the truth. She had time to figure out who she liked. And with her purchases bagged she was on her way to self-discovery.

 _How incredibly_ _optimistic this all sounds._ Her thoughts nagged at her. As she and Odette headed back to the dorm she had a feeling that things were going to change.  

...

**Qrow:**

Qrow watched from the top of the building as the two girls made their way back to campus.  _Well my job for the day is done. They probably won't be leaving anytime soon._ He flew from the building to the Everfree forest. Where he could blow off some steam. Just because he was guarding a girl didn't mean he had to lose his skill as a huntsman. After all, he still had his pride.

He had just transformed when he heard his scroll ring. It was Glynda, much to his surprise.

"You're surprisingly not drunk right now", she noted.

"Not drunk yet, or you just can't tell. What do you want?" he coughed into his sleeve as he looked out into the darkening woods for danger.

"How are you doing?" came her reply. He went silent. He hated it when people asked that question, Glynda especially.

"What do you want, Glynda?" he retorted. And before she could reply he added, "You and I both know that's not what you're calling me for." And they both knew it. She may not have looked like it, but Goodwitch was in the middle of two men's affections. Namely Ironwood and Ozpin. "I'll meet you at the usual place," he explained before hanging up. 

He still managed to kill five Ursas before he made it out of the forest. 

"I though you of all people would be better at making decisions, Glynda", Qrow chided as they sat down. Glynda was the kind of woman who liked higher class places. Unfortunately, he didn't fit in this kind of area. The only thing they served was wine, which wasn't something he'd put in his flask. 

"It's not that easy," she sighed dejectedly and pushed up her glasses with the edge of her riding crop. He couldn't resist watching as her cleavage came into greater view as she crossed her arms. Never was a woman so blasé about her own sex appeal. 

"I don't think so", he countered as he downed a glass, "Just face the facts, you're a woman who can't say no." He placed his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hands. She reddened with embarrassment. "I can't blame you for being unable to make a decision between those two. They're both good guys," he paused, "And they both love you, dearly."

He knew some of the story between the three even though he stayed out of it. It was around the time they had decided to allow James into their group. Of course he was out of the picture and kept contact through correspondence. By the time he returned the room had taken on an atmosphere that had made  ** _him_** uncomfortable. The only thing he was able to pick up were the times he had caught her with each of the men in...lets just say 'compromising' positions. All on separate occasions that happened to be in the same day. 

And that's how Qrow became the great Secret Keeper. Not by choice but by necessity he had become a keeper to more than he ever wanted.

"You're a good man too, Qrow", she disclosed. Her eyes were cast down and she seemed to be looking at a spot on the table. Her already rosy cheeks flushed an even greater pink. He knew how blatant the woman was being. She couldn't have made a more forward offer if she shouted it in his face. He definitely fancied her. She was his kind of woman: mature (his age), full-figured, and she wore glasses. 

...

A while later they ended up in her room. Interestingly enough they weren't touching each other in a frenzy. Glynda was always one for composure. If they were going to fuck they had to do it properly and he was fine with that. Now that he thought of it, he had never been to her room in person. And it was amazing.

The ceiling was high and the windows were long and narrow and covered with dark plum-colored curtains. The lights were dim when they walked in and with the flick of her wrist she made them slightly brighter. He could tell she wanted to say something meaningful, excusing her forward behavior. But she needn't be worried, he was good at making the first move.

He moved behind her and undid the clasps on her cape and let it fall to the floor. He wanted to squeeze her ample breasts so very badly, but he settled for wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing the curve of her neck. Glynda gave a soft cry of delight and might have moaned the word "Yes".

"Shall I continue?" he whispered roughly into her ear. As stern as she was on the outside, Qrow could tell she was melting on the inside. He unbuttoned the first button on her dress and each consecutive button seemed to release some restraint on her personality. "Shall I continue?" he repeated as the garment fell to the ground with a soft swishing sound. 

"Yes, please!" the last part came out as a defeated whisper. 

That was all he needed to hear. 

Getting her out of her clothes wasn't so hard but deciding how much he wanted to take off himself was a challenge. He ended up taking off his shirt and unbuckling his pants with one hand and pushing Glynda on the bed with the other. Nudity wasn't really his thing. When he successfully had his pants down. He firmly grasped her pale, shapely legs and forced them open, revealing her moist portal. Dropping to his knees and grasping firmly he licked the inside of her thighs, savoring the taste of her skin. He could feel himself hardening between his legs.  _Apparently its been a while for me, eh?_ He mused as he drew himself closer and closer to her honeyed insides. 

He could feel her arching her back in delight, clearly trying to keep her composure. He couldn't see her, but he was sure she was probably panting. He dragged his tongue along her labia, just around her clit  but not touching it directly. He listened her breathing speed up and moans starting escaping her mouth.

"Oh no. Not this. Not yet!" she mewled, her legs quivering. He traced her nether lips with pleasure. He could feel himself aching terribly. He wanted her badly but he also wanted to savor that moment. 

"Don't worry sweetheart, I'm just getting started," he whispered just before dipping his tongue into her entryway, tasting her fully. He wasn't going to climax her just yet. Not before he had his. He released her legs and raised himself up to access the rest of her body. Glynda had large breasts, in fact they were a bit larger than he expected. _She must be using a minimizer during the day_. He cupped one with his right hand, squeezing gently, looking deep into her eyes. 

Glynda reached up and grabbed a handful of his dark locks with one hand and brought him in for a kiss. Her lips tasted like lavender and honey and her kisses were shockingly amazing and he couldn't get enough of them. He enjoyed the twinges of pain as she tugged on his hair and dug her nails into his back. His desire escalated to the point he almost couldn't control himself. He pulled her to him and he positioned himself between her legs, piercing her with precision. Her insides squeezed him so delightfully he couldn't help but groan loudly as he began to thrust. He felt himself getting a bit dizzy with excitement. 

With one swift movement he flipped her over on her stomach, her legs hanging off the edge. Without missing a beat he grabbed her hips and kept going. Her hair was coming undone and falling onto her shoulders in gold waves. He grinned mischievously and grabbed a handful of her hair, forcing her to arch backwards. With his other hand he clasped her throat just enough to make her feel it and panic. He brought his lips to her ear, "Not much of a good witch are you sweetheart?" He whispered thickly, his words ending in a growl.

She managed to choke out the words, "No, I'm...not," and he released her, satisfied with her answer. He could feel his desire coming to a peak.

"I'm gonna cum," he stated, his voice getting shaky, "Where do you want it?"

"You can do it inside. It's a safe day for me," she gasped. She must be close to her climax as well. With that he got rougher, grasping her wrists and pulling backward. Her chest came off the bed and he could watch her large breasts shake enticingly. He definitely would have to play with them later. A few moments later he felt his dick explode inside her, his balls tightening in the process. He released her and pulled out, emptying the rest on her ass. Glynda lay there on the  tussled comforter breathing heavily and body shaking slightly. 

"How was it?" Qrow asked with a breathy voice. Apparently he had broken a sweat in the process. Glynda turned over carefully into sitting position, not seeming to mind the semen dripping from her opening onto the comforter. She ran a hand through her hair and adjusted her glasses. Damn, she regained composure with a swiftness!

"Were you going easy on me or was that the best you could do?" she asked pointedly, crossing one leg over the other. He saw the traces of a smirk in the corner of her mouth. He felt himself blush sheepishly, completely embarrassed at his skill set. This woman sure was something.

"I'm an old man and I haven't done it in a while, cut me some slack will ya?" he grinned while stroking his cock.  He was better at drunken sex anyways.

 "I expected more from huntsman like you, Qrow", her tone was low and serious. She reached out with the top of her foot and stroked the underside of his penis with it while making complete eye-contact with him. Her eyes were haughty and taunting. "Do it again", she commanded.

It was going to be a long night.


	6. And Grant Us Pause

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've added on to chapter 5. Make sure to read it before you start this one!

**Qrow:**

The hardest part of the morning was figuring out an exit strategy. He wasn't interested in being spotted leaving Glynda's place. The window cracked open just enough to fit a crow (haha) through. She must have done that in advance. He wondered if he had spotted it earlier. If not, he'd have to work on his observation skills. He picked up his shirt and checked his scroll, no messages from anyone. It was still about 6 in the morning. He didn't want to impose on her anymore, though he figured she was the kind of person to make breakfast in the morning. He could go for a cup of coffee though.

But he was Qrow, just a stand-in for someone else. Who that was, however, was up to her to decide. He paced the floor a moment, contemplating his next move. He decided that leaving would be his best decision. 

Placing his hands on the windowpane he took a glance back at Glynda who was likely pretending to be asleep and quietly left through the window without a single caw. As he flew, he secretly hoped nobody would see him, as unlikely as that would be. He felt some sort of guilt for giving in to his nature. As he made his way to the Academy he tried to distract himself with the promises of bacon and coffee. 

His favorite breakfast joint was right around the corner from his favorite bar (highly convenient!). Merry's was nearly always open and he was there so often they pretty much knew what he wanted: waffles and bacon. When he was back from missions he'd usually order more.

"Hey Qrow, you're not wasted today. You sick or something?" The host called to him as soon as he pushed the door open.

"I ain't having a bad day, just a weird one! I'll be wasted soon enough." He sat in his usual spot in the very center of the bar area. It was almost as if it was meant for him. He reached for his flask as he sat down and realized it was still half-full. He gratefully dumped it into his coffee the moment it was served. 

As he charged his scroll he waited to hear from Ozpin of there were any new assignments. Though he'd likely be asked how Winter was doing. That meant he'd have to check in on her. _After breakfast._ He convinced himself. 

But not before he'd showered and picked up a full flask.

He ended up at the bar just as soon as he finished eating. He  _really_ needed a drink. At least 4 before he was ready to face the Chill, aka Winter Schnee. As he started his first glass of brandy his mind replayed last night's events. It was fun, he had to admit that much, bending to the whims of Glynda and being taken by her. But then there was this other feeling: guilt.

It wasn't so much that he felt guilty for sleeping with her. He simply felt like he was allowing her to lie to herself. She knew it to. If there was one thing he couldn't allow, it was letting people abide by their lies. Wasn't that something he had just told Winter?

On his second drink in, he refused to think about any of that. Instead he considered what he should be doing instead. He was a fucking spy for crying out loud. Wasn't there something else he could be doing instead? He strongly considered telling Ozpin off instead of going back to check on Winter. It wasn't like she cared about what he had to say anyway.

His third drink had him feeling like his normal self. This particular one didn't let him think of anything pertaining to his actual life.

His fourth drink was his strongest one and personal favorite. It was called Firedust and nearly burned going down. It actually woke him up more than anything. Speaking of which, he had someone to meet. 

Winter was easy to spot coming out of the building. He'd recognize her white hair anywhere. But now she looked different. Her clothes, she wasn't wearing her uniform anymore. And those pants and midriff-baring top were certainly a surprise.

 _Well she certainly didn't waste any time._ He thought pointedly. He noticed that she suddenly took out her scroll. A few moments later his scroll rang with a message from her.

 _Thank you._ It read. He snorted, mostly unfazed. This girl was impatient. He hadn't done anything.

"Don't thank me yet Snow Queen", he muttered as he put away the device. No sooner was it back in his pocket it rang again. This time it was a message from Ozpin: 

_Meeting at 5pm._

Criminy, his messages were always short and to the point. The time was 3pm and that gave him enough time to shower and change since he hadn't done either since yesterday. He might be an alcoholic, but he liked to stay clean--when he could that was.

His apartment was a temporary living space, at least that's what he tried to tell himself. Normally he'd be staying in a cabin taking care of Ruby and sometimes Yang, but both were in good hands while he took on this assignment. But since he was here and had no little girls to look after it had turned into a bachelor pad. At least he kept it clean and the dishes are done, his laundry was piling up though. He tossed his clothes indiscriminately from the hamper into the washing machine and turned it on, making sure to throw detergent pods in as well. 

He kicked off his boots and pulled his shirt over his head, throwing it on his bed. He started the shower and waited for the water to get hot. He looked at his scroll for any more messages and noticed that Glynda had left him a message. He stared at it for a moment as fear seized his heart. Half of him wanted to delete it without reading it and the other half of him wanted to kick his own ass for giving into his base desires. He was a man, wasn't he? Unattached and living in a death world made you cling to any kind of happiness where you could find it. Even if it was just indulging in pleasure.

He turned off his screen. The message could wait. Instead he shed the rest of his clothes and drenched himself under the shower head. He loved the hot water streaming over his body. It was almost as if he could shed his skin and absolve himself of responsibilities. He closed his eyes a moment and let his mind wander, slowly letting it go and reigning it back in. Nothing. He mouthed the word. 

 


	7. You've Got Yours, I've Got Mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> I know I've been absent for a long while, but with the wake of Season 4 of RWBY I've been inspired to write again. I've added onto chapter 6 and while 7 is published, I'll be adding onto it as well!

**Qrow:**

He sat on the edge of his bed looking at the unread message. If there was anything he hated, it had to be the moment of truth before opening a message that could make or break him. What was Glynda doing messaging him anyway? He didn't want to be involved in her business. Let Ironwood and Ozpin deal with her. Women were something he kept at arms length...sort of. If he had the choice to deal with an angry woman or a Grimm, he'd chose the Grimm every single time. He had dealt with his sister Raven and various other women in the past that he didn't need to remain close to or form any kind of intimate relationship with. The message still glared at him, he needed to make a decision.

He deleted it without a second thought. 

If she wanted to come calling, she could come calling. But Qrow wasn't about to entertain whatever dalliances she was offering. It was either sex or business. And business could be dealt with in front of Ironwood and Ozpin. 

He dressed himself slowly, biding his time. He wasn't going to be late. Instead he tried thinking of other missions he could accomplish in his spare time. He hoped he would have a lot of it. Winter wouldn't need him, would she? Why was he supposed to look after her again? He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Maybe he needed to quit asking questions. The answers were few and far in between and none of them were satisfying. 

He arrived at Ozpin's office about 5 minutes early. Glynda was in her usual position at the edge of Ozpin's desk. She was drinking tea and reading something off of her pad. Ozpin wasn't anywhere to be seen and suddenly Qrow wished he was drinking. He pulled out his flask and took a swig. The Firedust burning down his throat woke him up a little, everything felt a bit clearer. 

"How's Winter doing?" Glynda's voice shattered the silence. Ozpin had appeared with his usual mug of caffeine. It took Qrow a moment to realize she was talking to him.

"The little lady?" He paused, "Uh...she's fine I guess?" He screwed the lid back on his flask and was about to put it away.

"Nothing to report?" Ozpin inquired.

"She asked me how to have fun," he added absentmindedly.  _And admitted to me she was a virgin._ "I told her to do what makes her happy." He studied the two other adult's faces. 

"Fun," Ozpin echoed, "I like that. She's learning there's more to life than work."

"You sound like a parent," Qrow snarked under his breath. "What's the point of me doing this?" he added a bit louder, raising his head to meet Ozpin's gaze. He must've asked this a million times.

"Just trust me," came the reply. Qrow felt himself about to snap with rage, but it died almost as quickly as it came. Instead he did the next best thing, he walked out on the meeting. Ironwood might have been due to show up, but he didn't care. Qrow was normally a loose canon, but he decided to hold his fire.  _I'm probably going to regret that,_ he thought sharply as the elevator descended. When the doors opened again he was surprised to see Winter waiting. Without skipping a beat he rushed past her without saying a word.

**Winter:**

Qrow breezing past her was startling. She looked behind her as he shrank in the distance, his red cape being the last thing she saw. What was she doing again? She stared blankly at the doors, forgetting everything she meant to do. She inhaled deeply and was surprised to catch his scent. Her heart pounded but she didn't know why. She looked after the path he took.  _What are you doing?!_ She scolded herself.  _What are you thinking?!_

"I'm not thinking", she whispered out loud. "I'm not thinking at all." One foot in front of the other she began to follow after him. Qrow Branwen was long gone but she followed to where he might have disappeared from. She found herself out in the courtyard again with him nowhere in sight...although that crow was there again, flying out towards the sunset. She bit her lip and turned on her heel to the dorm.

Sage and Odette were preparing to go out that evening when she walked through the door. They gave her an awkward yet friendly greeting as she made her way over to her bed and collapsed on it.

"Where are you guys off to?" she inquired in a muffled voice.

"We were going to this...dance club," Sage replied timidly exchanging glances with Odette. Winter bolted upright.

"Dance club? Count me in!" she exclaimed but was cut short.

"Um...this...might not be your kind of place," Odette half-whispered. Her voice was shaky and hesitant, "And it's a school night." Winter's face softened in confusion.

"But I _want_  to come, I never go anywhere," she stood up and began pacing, "I know I've been a major---bitch, but I'm trying!" The other two girls looked at each other again with uneasy expressions.

"It's not that we don't---", Odette began but was cut off by a faster thinking Sage.

"It's not that we don't want you to come, we just think it would be too much for you to take it! It's..." she paused as she ran her tanned hand through her honey curls, "beneath your morals." She added grimly, looking at the floor. 

Winter's first instinct was to say she didn't have any morals, but that didn't make any sense. 

"Morals?" she echoed.  _Which ones?_

"Yeah. Er, yes. A daughter of a Schnee would never get caught in a place where we're going," Odette was struggling to find the words. Winter was slowly piecing it together. They must be talking about those crazy dance clubs with the lights and loud music! Of course they wouldn't want her to show up at a place like that. They probably thought she had only been to dinner parties and balls, which was true. 

"Well...what if I wasn't?" Winter delivered the words calmly and precisely. 

"What?" came the chorus response.

She began to pace. "What if I wasn't a Schnee, what if I looked different?--" she began to rummage through her drawers, pulling out random items of clothing. She quickly studied their outfits. They were showing more skin than usual so she'd have to match that.  _Dark eyes. Pale skin. Red lips. Dark hair. Almost..._

A few minutes later she stood before them, completely changed. Sage and Odette had to struggle to keep their mouths shut.

"What do you think?" she turned carefully, "The dust will wear off by the end of the night, but I figured the dark hair would look the best." She was wearing a short purple dress with thigh high black boots. 

"I...hardly recognize you", Sage commented.

"We're going to be late", Odette chided, jabbing her in the ribs, "You're going to want to bring some money with you. Just stuff it down your front we gotta go!" Odette rushed them both out the door.

 _Yes!_ Winter cheered in her head.  _I've finally won them over._ She considered her victory but contained her excitement. Her stomach was already turning with anticipation. Tonight she wasn't a Schnee. She was just an ordinary person. But maybe she should've eaten something.

...

What. The. Bleeding...

In the span of fifteen minutes, Winter learned several things upon entering the club.

1\. Sage and Odette were not exaggerating. They never exaggerate. If anything, Sage had understated when she said the place was beneath her morals. After stepping foot in the club called Goody Basket she was greeted with the sight of a cookie bar...with naked girls having cookies eaten off their bodies. And that was just the first thing she saw. 

2\. Cover charges. This was something she never encountered. When she forked over the money she was given a stamp on her hand and was told "Good luck". She noticed only the girls had the glowing stamps on their hands. 

3\. The girls were wearing less than what she was wearing going in. Once here eyes adjusted to the ambient light she noticed Sage and Odette were taking off their clothes. "What are you doing?" she asked confused.

"Beacon Academy doesn't exactly pay for itself you know," Odette replied a bit more harshly than she intended to. She noticed Winter flinch and apologized, "Sorry. Most students get an allowance from their family to spend on necessities. Well, we don't exactly have that luxury." She adjusted what could only be described as a stick-on bra and handed the rest of her clothes, except for her shoes which she kept on, to a man behind a counter that handed her a tag on a bracelet.

"I'm making money to send back home," Sage explained casually as she surrendered her clothes. And then she added, "It's fine if you don't do anything, but don't stand and stare. You'll stand out immediately."

4\. She was in WAY too deep but now she had to keep her cover. If she blew it, she'd risk everything, including the new friendship she was building. She felt shivers up her spine and her stomach was squeezing itself into a dozen knots.  _Nothing ventured, nothing gained...right?_ She asked herself. But before she knew it, she was stripping off her dress. Panties and bra were fine, right? She stole a glance around the main area. She was slightly overdressed, but she still fit in. Her tag read 47. 

5\. There were rules and non-rules. The Goody Basket worked on a bartering system. Someone asked for a favor and offered you money. You do the favor, you get the money. Some favors were simple like hugs and kisses. Then the favors got more and more extreme like doing Dust lines off of your body; which was extremely dangerous because Dust was highly volitale. If someone sneezed with a nosefull of Dust...

 _Is it too late for me to leave?_ Winter asked herself. But she already knew the answer to that. She tried to occupy herself by trying to find a place  to get a drink. maybe the bar.

"Hey you---" a slurred male voice came from behind her. she spun around and came face to face with a huge faunus. He must've been a bear or something. he was clearly intoxicated but not bad looking.  _Am I really considering doing something if the guy is attractive?_

The word 'morals' popped into her mind again. What kind of morals did a Schnee have anyway? She thought about how she was raised.

"You're new here", he continued talking to her. She could see he had a fistful of money and he was eyeing her tits.

"That I am", she said cheerfully, "What can I do fer ya?" she drawled, hoping it came across as convincing. She placed a hand on his arm.

She considered how her father ran his business and how her mother watched without much of a word. She heard the rumors about what he did. Morals? She spent all of her time doing what she was told. The topic of morality and sense of right and wrong never really came up.

The faunus ended up pouring a vial of dust and milk onto her nearly exposed breasts. she had opened her bra from the front and covered her nipples with her hands. She felt him run his long hot tongue along her mounds of flesh. And to be honest, she liked it. She sat straddling him as he caressed her skin with his tongue.

"Fuck you're amazing", he breathed. His eyes nearly rolled back in his head as he closed them. He placed some bills in her bra and let her go. 


	8. Paying in Naiveté

**Winter:**

As nervous as she was, she stayed. There was something about what was going on that gave her goosebumps. It excited her to no end. One guy wanted to drink a shot out of her navel. It overflowed a bit and his tongue tickled, he even blew a raspberry on her stomach for extra money. That made her laugh.

She didn't know where Sage and Odette were, but she hoped they were making money. So far no one had requested much more than groping. One girl wanted to rest her head on her lap and talked for fifteen minutes about how her boyfriend was probably going to dump her but that she didn't care because being a huntress was more important than her failing relationship. When she was done talking she said thank you and got up, disappearing into the crowd.

...

She had no idea what time it was when she left, nor how much money she had made. She was about to leave when she felt nervous. She hadn't linked back up with her teammates. Her scroll beeped and she realized they had left some time before her. For some reason she didn't feel surprised this happened. Maybe it was an accident?

She realized she only had one person she could call. She hurried and hid behind a tree, realizing that the dust was going to fade from her hair any minute.

"N'yo?" came a groggy voice on the other end.

"Qrow? It's Winter. I need your help." she began. Instantly his voice changed. 

"What is it? Where are you?" He was alert and ready.

"I'm at the Goody Basket, you know where that is?" she half-whispered into the receiver.

"What the fuck are you doing there?! Nevermind, don't tell me. I'm on my way." The line went dead. Winter suddenly felt like she was in trouble. But she wasn't in trouble. She sank down and hugged her legs to her.She didn't really regret what she did. She was having fun actually. It felt kind of good to not...be herself.

Her dad would be pissed if he knew what she had done. But he wasn't going to find out, not if she could help it. Please Qrow, get here.

Ten minutes passed and she was starting to get hungry, and sleepy. At least it wasn't so cold out tonight. Suddenly her scroll rang.

"Where are you?" came Qrow's raspy voice.

"Behind a tree", she replied, peeking around the trunk to see if he was there. Suddenly the branches rustled and there he was, standing in front of her. Without thinking she ran and hugged him before suddenly realizing...she was supposed to hate this guy.

"Snowflake? What the hell are you doing here?" He pulled away to look at her. "What..." He looked her over, "are you dressed as?" Winter touched her hair in discomfort and discovered it was still dark. The dust hadn't worn off.  _And he still recognized me._ She thought almost fondly. She suddenly remembered Qrow was asking her.

"Nobody", she quipped as they began walking. She felt something soft and warm on her shoulders. It was his cape she had often seen him wearing. She discreetly pulled it closer to cover her. She breathed in deeply, catching his full aura. He smelled of obvious booze but also had a musk of spice and...something else she didn't recognize.

**Qrow:**

The silence was more than welcome at this point. Qrow had considered himself lucky that Winter had disguised herself. After all, it would be quite the scandal if she had been found out. Her sudden change in behavior did not go unnoticed. Maybe she was trying to do too much too soon? He stole a glance over to her. Her eyes were pale and searching. It reminded him how peoples eyes moved under their lids when they slept. Maybe she was dreaming while she walked. 

Winter pulled his cape closer to her and sighed. Then came a growling noise. He stifled a laugh.

"You hungry?" he asked teasingly.

"Yeah, I could go for something", she replied. There was an aroma of Merry's. Still open, always reliable. 

"This way", he gestured as they walked inside.

"Hey Qrow! You're here at an odd hour", the host bellowed. He grinned and gestured for Winter to have a seat. There was never an odd hour for him to get a good breakfast in. "Who's the new gal?" He cringed inwardly.

"I'm nobody", Winter pipped up, sitting herself on the bar stool. "Don't worry about it, we've got nothing going on here." Qrow noticed she placed her elbows on the table and didn't cross her legs. She must either be really tired or really trying to hide out. "The name's Amy", she finishes.

"Give her a break Holmes", Qrow teases as he glanced at the menu, "I'll have the usual. Is the Autumn Ale in yet?" He watched Winter look the menu over and over, unable to make a decision.

"I'll have what he's having", she jabbed a thumb in his direction. Holmes left to fill the order. He found now to be a good time to start getting answers.

"You mind telling me what the hell you were doing back there?" he grilled her right off the bat. "Because if you're going to take the party girl route---"

"It's not like that!" she snapped, refusing to make eye contact, "I didn't even know what that place was." She rested her head on her chin, "I was told it was a place beneath my morals." She added quietly. 

"Beneath your morals huh? That's interesting," he huffed. The waitress brought out a mug of pumpkin ale. He took a long drag from the mug before putting it down.

"My family doesn't have morals", Winter added, "And as for me...I'm...not sure I have any either. I'm stupid, you know."  _Stupid virgin Schnee,_ he noted,  _How it must be to be a Schnee._

"Well did you at least have fun? I mean, if you're going to the Basket you might as well go all out", might as well learn what's up, right? There was a moment of silence.

"Sort of. Had a faunus guy lick milk off my boobs so that was fun," she said it so casually you'd think she was reading the newspaper or something. Qrow nearly gagged, trying not to spew his drink like he did last time. She almost seemed to enjoy his reaction. 

Just in time the pancakes and bacon was brought out. Winter wasted no time digging in.

"You know", she said between bites, "Groing out ish fun", she swallowed,"Even if it's just once. I can get used to it." She reached for her mug which might not have been full of milk.

"And what about your studies?" his question brought her back to reality. Winter taps her fork on her plate of half eaten flapjacks. She considers it carefully. The expectations she had placed on her seem to take the wind out of her sails.

"You're right, what about my studies?" she repeats, "I guess I'll have to start back up tomorrow..." her voice trails off. He almost feels bad for not humoring her some more. But he still had a job, and that was to look after her. He felt a small twinge of guilt.

"Tomorrow is Sunday though," he added as an afterthought. But even with that notion, the Goody Basket wasn't a safe place for her, not if she didn't want to be found out and cause a scandal.

"You're right," she added.


	9. Contemplation

**Winter:**

_All that money and I still ain't shit._

That phrase stuck with her for the rest of the week. sure, making up with Odette and Sage---or rather, them making up with her was the least of her problems. Getting back into the daily grind of classes and practice wasn't too difficult, it was the trying to be human part that made her feel like screaming. 

She began to learn about her teammates and where they grew up. She even managed to surprise them with snacks at one point. But in spite of all that, there was this nagging feeling gnawing at her from the inside. And the worst part was the silence that she bore it with. 

_Loneliness_

How could she be lonely? Even Glynda noticed something off about her as their meeting was unusually quiet. She was fine with nothing new to report, and she left before more questions could be asked. And Qrow...

"Maybe I should just go back home", she murmured dejectedly. 

"And go home to what? More dinner parties and meetings?" that raspy voice! She turned and looked up to see Qrow sitting in the tree next to her.

"You followed me?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"Well something wasn't right back there Snowy", he crossed his hands behind his head and relaxed a bit. "I'm not a therapist and I'm not going to understand any of your shit. But I can at least listen." She wasn't sure if talking to him was the best idea. She turned away from him and rested her back to the tree. She had caught herself wanting to study his expression, but why?

But she realized the moment she opened her mouth she'd have to reveal the complex inner workings she barely understood herself. That was something she simply wasn't ready for.

"Do you have any siblings?" she found herself asking. She couldn't see his expression but she could sense it was tense.

"Hey! No changing the subject!" He objected.

"It's just a question", she replied softly. Folding her hands in front of her. "Sorry to upset you." She apologized. Qrow sighed.

"I have a sister named Raven", he replied. He seemed apprehensive when he said that. Winter felt like asking another question, but that would be pushing it. She owed him at least one explaination. Could she keep it as brief as he did? What could she tell him?

"I have a sister too. Her name is Weiss. I feel that she's special...like one day she might help save the world." That was all she could manage to choke out before she realized her eyes were watering up. She paused before continuing. "I feel like my parents...care more about her than me. And...that I'm doing all of this for nothing." She could barely choke out that last part as the realization hit her. 

Winter began to cry.

...

Did she run back to the dorm? Where did she run to? Where was she now? Had she fallen asleep? Her face felt tight in places where her tears had dried. Where was she? She was warm and whatever was beneath her was soft and comfy. 

She sat up quietly and looked around. She was in someone's apartment. It was dimly lit with the light of a lamp on a stand. She realized she had been covered with a blanket.  _Whose apartment is this?_ Winter stood up and walked around. It seemed barely lived in, except the washing machine was on.

"Oh so you're up now?" Qrow's voice came from behind the couch she was sleeping on. He was standing in the doorway to what was probably his room and was shutting the door behind him. 

"How long have I been here for?" she found the words.

"Just a few hours. It's time to getting you back", he grunted as he made way for the door.

"But..." She caught herself protesting but then went silent. "Qrow---I...I'm sorry for crying like that."  _Why am I apologizing?_

"Why are you apologizing?" He asked. She didn't answer. He kept his back to her with his hand on the knob. Winter walked over to him, steps slow and careful.

_What am I doing?_

She reached out and touched the hem of his shirt.

 _Winter!_ She could hear her father roaring at her.

 _Winter!_ She could hear the disapproving whispers.

"Winter," Qrow breathed, hand gripping the doorknob so tightly. It was too late, she had her arms around him. Her cheek was pressed to his back. She could feel his hard-worked body against hers. He was tense, uneasy, and...dangerous. "Don't do this to me," his words sounded pained, as if she were hurting him. For a moment in the silence there was only the two of them. Qrow didn't turn the knob, he didn't push her away, he didn't do anything. She could hear his heartbeat and sync her breathing with his. 

 _What am I doing? What is this?_ She couldn't answer her own question. She unwrapped her arms from around him and pressed her palms against his back. She touched her forehead to his spine and closed her eyes. 

**Qrow:**

Qrow couldn't let go of the door. He had his right hand on the knob and his left hand balled into a fist. She had done the one thing he hadn't expected: showing her the side of her she was supposed to keep hidden. Her heart...His fist hit the door frame and he could feel Winter flinch behind him. 

"Dammit", he cursed as he turned around and hugged the girl to him. Her body seemed to melt against his. He didn't want to admit how  _good_ it felt to have her against him. He also didn't want to admit to the vulnerability that he was expressing in this very moment. The man collapsed, his back against the door and slid down to the floor. He rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. His heart was tight in his chest, it was hard to breathe.

He wanted Winter to hate him. From the moment he saw her, he wanted her to hate him. Her father was a rich criminal and was everything he fought against. And here she was, the daughter of Schnee, in his apartment...in his arms. She was begging for something he wasn't sure he could give, or rather something he had the capacity for. 

He had seen Tai fall for Summer and for his own sister, Raven. And he had lost both of them. He had a vague idea that Raven was still alive and out there somewhere. For him, loving and losing were so synonymous that he'd rather distance himself from both of them. He could love his family, his nieces and brother in law. But he couldn't see himself taking a wife, or lover for that matter. 

"Qrow?" Winter's voice called him out of his thoughts. She was sitting with her back against him, resting her head in crook of his arm. 

"What is it, Snowy?" his voice was hushed. She didn't answer. Maybe she was afraid to speak her mind. It didn't matter now, they had crossed lines. If only she hadn't started crying, if only he wasn't there, if only he hadn't been assigned to her---none of this would have happened. Winter was still quiet.

"I...don't understand why I'm drawn to you", she finally finished.

"I don't understand it either", he replied, "I didn't want you to." His honesty hadn't taken a hit, that was for sure. 

"I know. I'm sorry", she whispered. He didn't have the heart to chide her or goad her into being angry. This was something that was beyond him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll make sure to update this chapter by three time the next one comes out so stay tuned. I need to find myself some tissues!


	10. Event Horizon 1

**Qrow:**

He and Winter weren't sure what to do with each other. Not a lot was said. Under the cover of night she was returned back to her dorm. And he returned back to his apartment and liquor. Neither of which helped him. This might have been inevitable. It might have been planned. Ozpin might have known what he was doing; assigning a man like Qrow to a vulnerable woman like her when Glynda was clearly the better mentor. He felt very set up at the moment and the lack of clarity was pissing him off. He could see the next meeting being a reveal that he was supposed to find secrets of the Schnee Dust Company after wooing the girl and possibly bedding her. 

_Oh how it must be to be a Schnee._

This situation was fucked and he knew it. The idea of fucking her seemed obscene to him now, he couldn't bear the thought of it. Except, he thought about it and he hated himself for it. He considered calling Glynda over for a good screw but chickened out. If she had seen them together, and it was likely she did, she would come for him soon enough. 

His scroll's ringtone confirmed this ten minutes later.

"Hello?" he asked sounding as tired as he knew he was. 

"What have you done with Winter?" Glynda's accusing voice hissed at him through the speaker. 

"Nothing", came his reply. He felt his mind was blank somehow, the kind of blank where you don't seem to care about what you're saying or who you're talking to. This was typical Qrow fashion, but it felt different to him. 

"Nothing?" She didn't seem to believe him.

"Why is she under my care?" he asked standing up, cradling the scroll to his ear as he walked about the dimly lit apartment, "For someone who put me in charge of her, you seem awfully concerned." There was silence on the other end. He let it go on for about a minute before he spoke again. "But this isn't about her, is it, Glynda?" His question was rhetorical and she knew it. He had a feeling he knew what she wanted and he was more than willing to give it. "You've got 20 minutes to get here." He rasped and pressed the END button.

He needed another drink. Was he drinking less now? He couldn't be too sure, but the bottle was looking fine.

By the time Glynda showed up he had hammered himself into a stupor. He answered the door, leaning crudely against the frame.

"So you did show up after all?" he hiccuped crudely, still clenching the bottle in his fist. "I bet you don' wanna fuck me now eh?" She pushed past him into the apartment, gritting her teeth as she spun to face him. 

"I don't know why I even---" she spat.

"Even what?" He slurred rudely, ambling towards her. "My queshon ish why I put up with any of this shit." He pointed at her, "Espeshly you, bitch!" Glynda fell over the side of the couch landing safely on the cushions. She was far from safe.  _Very_ far from safe.

Qrow was a man capable of many things. Very many things. One of them was being able to keep a raging boner when he was angry and drunk. Placing one hand on Glynda's thigh, he managed to rip her stockings, exposing her panties. But then, as quickly as the rage came, it left. Glynda's expression changed from panic to guarded serenity. She knew he didn't have the heart or rather she knew he'd get nowhere. It was a very small reminder to her that he was a huntsman first. 

"Qrow I---" she began but lost the words. 

"Did you come to fuck me or to lecture me? 'Cause either way, you're telling me every little thing," he crawled on top of Glynda, holding her arms. She might have been feigning disgust or intrigue, but he couldn't quite tell. She looked away. He sighed and let her go. He knew there was only so much he could do before he crossed some lines he never really wanted to cross in the first place.

To his surprise, she got up but didn't leave, she placed herself between his legs and undid his pants.  
"Glynda, you don't have to--" he began, but it was hardly much of a protest.

"Would you rather I stop?" she murmured, pulling down his underwear, bringing his hard cock into view. He moaned in spite of himself.

"No...don't stop."

...

He wasn't even sure when they stopped. The passage of time didn't catch up with him until the next day. His arm was around Glynda's waist and he had a slight headache. Nothing another drink couldn't fix. His mouth did fell a little dry though. He sat up and stretched and then made his way to the kitchen for a glass of water. He thought about the blond haired woman still in his bed and poured a second glass for her. He gathered his thoughts as he re-entered his bedroom. She was definitely still asleep and probably had a half hour before she'd even start stirring. He carefully placed the glass on the nightstand and returned to his side of the bed to see what messages his scroll had.

None from Ozpin. He almost wondered why he was uncharacteristically silent but then he realized that he was also a professor at the Academy. He probably had class now. It was 8 am after all. Qrow noted that he was nowhere closer to finding out why Winter was placed in his care or why Glynda was keeping such a close eye on him. He put the glass to his lips and began to slowly drink. His eyes glanced over to the sleeping woman as another realization hit him a little bit too late for comfort: Glynda was finding excuses to sleep with him...as if she were jealous that he'd start sleeping with Winter.

He nodded knowingly.  _Of course it would turn out like this,_ he thought pointedly as he finished off his glass. His attention was suddenly drawn to Glynda waking up. He watched as she removed the covers first before sitting up and letting her feet hit the ground. She might be ready to leave, but he wasn't done with her yet. Her back was still facing him and she was trying to fix her hair. He crawled over and sat up high on his knees and reached around and pulled her to him.

"Leaving so soon?" he teased. Starting at her thighs he slid his hands upward and gently squeezed her breasts. Glynda moaned in response. He felt her body become a bit more pliant. "Should I continue or should I stop?" he paused, still grasping the mounds of warm flesh. Her nipples were getting hard and she gasped when he gently pinched them. He felt her grasp his hands with hers, urging him to continue kneading. He leaned forward and kissed her shoulder blade. Glynda moaned involuntarily as he pulled her down between his legs. It would be a moment before he got hard again but he decided to enjoy it.

...

"Now, tell me everything", he demanded, fastening his pants. A panting Glynda was still shaking a little, her hands clenching the sheets. Her face showed resignation, but he knew he'd have to do more than fuck the ever-loving shit out of her. She sat up defiantly and grabbed her glasses from the nightstand.

"You know about the Schnee Dust Company", she began, "And all their questionable conduct." She put a hand to her forehead as if she were in frustrated thought. "We had suspicions that they have been using the Faunus for cheap labor AND experimentation."

"What does that have to do with the girl?" Qrow demanded, crossing his arms but not before he had a swig from his flask, "Because you, instead of having me on some sort of valuable mission have me babysitting some kid who doesn't know shit about the company her father runs!" 

"There was more to it than that!" Glynda protested. His temper calmed but he wasn't satisfied about the vagueness of the information he was receiving. 

"I'm listening," he growled as he positioned himself between her legs, grabbing her behind the knees so he could pull her towards him. She was caught off guard by the impulse of his action. What was he going to do to her?

"We had hoped you'd be able to gain information through her", she continued, "We also needed a distraction."

"A distraction?" he echoed.

"You're too valuable to lose, so we had you keep watch and sent in someone else. Jacque would be too busy watching Winter that he wouldn't notice that Ironwood was gleaning intel." She propped herself up on her elbows.

"So I'm the distraction..." his voice trailed off. He came to a rather grim acceptance. That didn't answer much but it gave him a little bit of closure. "And yet you're preoccupied with Winter and me." He looked at her dead on. He reached between her legs and teased her clit a bit. He didn't expect an answer from her at all. Glynda flinched and tried to twist away from his grip. He relented and let her go. "Glynda, quit lying to yourself."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! NaNoWriMo 2016 is off to a great start! This isn't my official WriMo project but you can expect semi-regular updates once or twice a week. I'll keep making notes to come back and re-read chapters to see what you've missed. This chapter is definitely not complete and I'll update it when I'm more conscious.
> 
> I hope you like "Give Me Dopamine" and I hope that it stays pretty true to the RWBY-verse. I also hope this becomes a sort-of favorite among Night Watch shippers.


	11. Event Horizon 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've added onto chapter 10. This Chapter is incomplete but I wanted to get it out there anyway.

**Winter:**

"Have you developed feelings for someone but didn't know why?" Winter asked Sage during lunchtime. The girl was caught off guard and nearly spilled her tray.

"Um...that's weird for you to be talking about," Sage replied as she righted herself and sat at an empty table. The Goody Basket incident ended up bringing them closer together. Of course things were still complicated.

"Yeah I get it, but put it this way: when you've been cooped up forever and live the kind of life I do, things don't come easy", Winter began. Sage still looked confused. Winter sighed dejectedly. "I don't know if what I'm feeling is real or if I'm just new to the whole thing!" The lights came on in Sage's head.

"Ooohhh, I get it now," she drummed her green painted fingernails on the table, "Well...I guess it's just the newness that's got you hooked." Winter's mind flashed back to being in Qrow's arms. The way he smelled. His warmth. His guard was completely up...

"I guess that's what it is", she mumbled in  agreement. It was getting close to the Holidays at Beacon and the students were deciding whether to go home or stay in town. Winter had a feeling she'd be asked home for the season. It suddenly occurred to her that she didn't want to go. She wanted to ask if she could stay but it was doubtful her parents would let her remain in such a place. Weiss would want her home too. Whitley? Probably not, the brat he was. It was likely her father would make her sing at the holiday ball or festival (she could never remember which).

A Schnee indeed.

She resumed her training that afternoon. Classes had been getting a little bit briefer but that didn't mean she could slow down. She had to practice using her semblance against other opponents. Today her opponent was a faunus girl with white hair that faded to blue. Her weapon looked like a violin with colored strings. 

Professor Ozpin was overseeing the match personally this time. He wasn't often seen these days which was a bit of a surprise.

"Take your positions", he stated calmly. Winter took her stance, choosing her left foot over her right. The other girl took hers, as if she were ready to play. 

"Go!" he bellowed.

Immediately the girl struck the yellow string and Winter knew it was trouble. The violent tune of "Kanariya" began to play. She didn't even get through the the first bar before Winter dodged the bolt of lightning with an earth glyph that grounded it. Winter sped forward  on a haste glyph in a zigzag pattern. It would throw her off balance but if the girl was as skilled as she'd have to be with a weapon like that it wouldn't work for long.

Winter thrust forward with a third of the force she'd normally use just to test her close combat skills. She was better than expected. The other girl fused her bow with her weapon and blocked her sword with what now looked  lIke a claymore. The two young women glared at each other. 

Such entusiasm was welcome to Winter.

She waited too long to respond and Winter was sent flying.  _I'm assuming she wacked me me out here._ She thought as she summoned a a glyph to catch her and propel her forward back to her target. The key was to stay locked in close combat. She can't be allowed to sue her strings.

The other girl jumped out of the way and unsheathed her violin again. This time she played her blue string. The ground was covered with ice spikes that shot out of the ground. Winter spun around, counteracting the ice with fire. It wasn't going to be enough as the girl kept enough distance between them to keep playing her melody.

This other girl clearly was unskilled, but understood the battle well enough to keep her distance so she could keep playing. 'This will not do', Winter thought impatiently. In the midst of the volley of elements she stood her ground and thought. She was fighting  a person, not a Grimm.

Grimm. 

Grimm.

She felt her aura take several heavy blows. There had to be something. She thought back to her first Grimm kill a few years back. What was it? She thought very hard. It was...

Winter stood up a bit too quickly and summoned a shield glyph and used haste again, this time following a different pattern. 'If I can spiral inward,' her mind raced, 'I can...' Her thought trailed off. It was an Ursa! It got a bit blurry but she could see a white Ursa paw appeared and knocked the girl out of the ring. 

...

Ozpin stopped the match immediately and the girl was given aid. "Is she okay?" she asked frantically as the girl was whisked away. A few students had to be taken out too as she learned the girl had taken them out too.

"That was fascinating", Ozpin said from behind her.

"It was an accident!" she squeaked, "I didn't even realize---"

"It's all right Winter", Ozpin reassured her, patting her on the shoulder. "New abilities are usually catastrophic when they're first discovered. It's fortunate you discovered it in this environment." Winter turned to face him, his expression was one of approval and it put her at ease for the moment.

"What was her name?" she asked, "I'd like to apologize personally.

"Her name is Kyrie Cobalt", Ozpin replied, "I don't know if I've seen a harder working student. She's an extremely late bloomer." He added as if an afterthought. At first Winter wanted to protest stating that she was the hardest working student, but she closed her mouth and bit her lips. Maybe she was working hard enough and didn't realize it.

Her father however didn't agree. She sat with her scroll on her desk with it on speaker. She wasn't entirely sure what he was saying. Her eyes nearly glazed over as she was remembering what had transpired. 

"And what do you think I'm allowing you to attend there for?!" her father's sharp words brought her out of her trance. 

"I don't know," came her lax reply, "But I will do better." Her gaze straged from her scroll to the outdoors. The sun was starting to slink slowly into the horizon. Her cluttered mind was able to process the outside and how much she longed to be there. Perhaps she wanted freedom? Wasn't she free enough? 

She wasn't.

Winter had all sorts of chains, the company, her father, the world...herself...her

"Virginity", she whispered. Just then her teammate Nadir walked out of the shower. How long had he been there? She blushed a moment, thinking her slip of the lip hadn't gone unnoticed. But no, he came in how he always did, grabbed his uniform and went back into the bathroom.

 _Stupid virgin Schnee._ She remembered him sneering. Did he hate her because she was a virgin? 

"Hey Nadir?" she asked as he returned through the bathroom door.

"Hm?" He grumbled as he collapsed on his bunk.

"Are you a virgin?" she inquired over the back of her chair, peering at him curiously. The young man, quite a bit taller than her turned over on his stomach and returned eye contact.

"No," was his simple reply. He was either expecting the question or was so experienced he was bored with the subject. She rose from her chair and made her way to where he lay. She figured he could probably see her panties from where his face was. Winter decided she didn't care.

"Do you hate that I'm one?" her voice had taken a tone she hadn't experienced before. She had heard a girl at the Basket use it before but she never had the courage to use it herself. It came out so naturally.

Nadir laughed genuinely. "No, I don't hate that. I hate how stupid it makes you." Winter chewed her lip angrily. He was making fun of her--again. 

"I guess it does," she agreed. Her fingers went to the hem of her skirt and pulled it up a bit and took a step back. "Do you want it?" she whispered. He growled low in his throat in approval and for a moment she thought he might take her seriously. His eyes followed the line of her leg to the hem of her skirt that still covered her panties.

"I'll pass," he murmured, turning his head to the side. Winter felt a sense of relief but also disappointment. Was she not good enough for him? She was a Schnee after all, didn't that count for something? 'I suppose not,' she answered her own question. It still felt kind of cool to be so crass. Offering her virginity recklessly? That was a new thrill she hadn't experienced. Too bad it wasn't taken or else she'd be down a chain. 

 


	12. No Turning Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter ventures deeper.

**Winter:**

The moment was interrupted by the return of her other female teammates. Winter backed off and sat on her bed, glaring daggers into Namir's head. She hoped he felt that as he likely did. He excused himself from the room and they immediately turned to her.

"What was that about?" Sage asked mischievously, coming in close. Odette followed, eager to hear what happened. Winter put her scroll away and motioned them closer. 

"I offered him my virginity." She explained simply. The two girls gasped in delight. "He didn't take me up on it though." She added with disappointment.

"Whoa, now that wasn't expected", Odette replied crossing her arms, "he seemed to give you a hard time for not doing it."

"Maybe he's frustrated?" Sage replied.

"No he comes back smelling of sex quite a bit," Odette countered.

"What, you know what sex smells like?" Winter asked.

"I'm a grown woman aren't I ?" Odette was a bit indignant, "I'm experienced, I know this sort of thing." And judging by her attitude it was fairly obvious she knew a thing or two about sex. Sage to. Winter turned to her other friend.

"Yep, I've done it too," the blase answer was obvious. Winter felt a slight discomfort. The sheltered life she lead was terrible for her in more ways than one. She might have had more money and status but experience wasn't something she could beat. She was clearly outclassed. 

"Well I guess I have some catching up to do", she sighed and chewed on her thumbnail. 

"Catching up?" Odette and Sage echoed in unison.

"I'm behind everyone else", she countered as she started pacing. "I'm a stupid virgin remember?" she kept walking and running her fingers through her hair. "This fucking sucks you know!" her vulgarity was starting to show through.

Sage and Odette exchanged glances and grins. Their teammate was coming into her own. There were still some concerns . 

"Well...you shouldn't rush it you know", Odette said cautiously. 

"Oh?" Winter was curious now.  The two sat in a huddle on the floor.

"Okay let me explain it," Sage began opening a package of cookies and passed it between them. "Sex is fun and all. Don't get me wrong, it's cool. But don't rush into it." 

"Sage speaks the truth. That's why we were worried about you coming to the Goody Basket. We thought you'd...you know, get into it without thinking. It can fuck you up seriously."

"Fuck you up?" Winter was confused. She knew about diseases spread through sexual contact but those were a bit rarer nowadays since medicine had advanced. She learned that she had been given vaccines that made her mostly immune. Odette gestured to her head.

"It's the emotional shit," Odette explained, "You do that with the wrong person and it can create negative emotions." 

"And negative emotions can attract Grimm," Winter finished.

"Will." Sage corrected. Why did that sound so ominous?

...

Later she met with Ozpin and Qrow. Glynda was suspiciously absent.

"We had quite the class time today", Ozpin began.

"I discovered a new ability", Winter explained carefully, not letting the presence of Qrow unnerved her. She felt this clenching in her stomach and something else a bit lower. She could pick his scent out of the many smells in the room. She figured it was too weird to ask anyone what it meant when you caught someone's scent (and liked it). She was also afraid of looking it up on the system or else it would be logged.

Qrow crossed his arms and sat on Ozpin's desk. "I'm listening." His raspy voice rang in her ears.

"I summoned the arm of an Ursa in battle today," Winter folded her hands in front of her, "I was desperate and thought of my first Grimm I ever fought." She finished. "And before I knew it---"

"This arm came outta nowhere and knocked this chick into the crowd. Amirite?" Qrow didn't even have to look at her face to know the answer. Just what he had expected of a Schnee. 

"Qrow would you be willing to continue training Miss Schnee and see if she can hone in her abilities?" A moment of silence followed as both Qrow and Winter stood aghast. 

"Wouldn't that be your job Ozpin? Remember, I'm a huntsman, not a teacher." He protested, this time he was serious.

"You're right. But this is a responsibility I'm going to shirk off to you. I still have exams to hand out and students to oversee until the Holiday arrives." The answer was as simple and asinine as it gets. Qrow still refused to look at Winter.

She was wondering why he wouldn't look at her. Ozpin took another drag from his mug and looked at his desk. The uncomfortable silence that followed was excruciating. 

"Fine! I'll do it. I'll teach her." Qrow's voice came in an exasperated gripe. "But I'll do it my way, do you consent to that?" Winter wasn't sure who he was asking. She stared at Ozpin with a sort of expectation. Of course she was curious for this venture, she'd be able to spend more time with the man who caught her interest. 

Ozpin folded his hands on his desk. "All I ask is that you return her alive and unharmed." Was his only reply. "No other questions."

"Done," Qrow pounded his fist on the desk and strode forward, giving Winter a wink and exited the room. She was confused. Very confused. She didn't wait for Ozpin to dismiss her. 

...

Qrow was pacing outside the elevator when she made it down. It didn't take him long to start addressing her as she drew near.

"I don't know why I'm doing this. You," he pointed at her, "I don't get this shit." 

"Me?" she was more confused than indignant.

"Everything in my life revolves around you and I don't know why." His expression was different. There was more impatience and defiance in his glare., but whonly was he defying.

"I didn't ask for this," was all she could say as she strode past him. He followed. "But here we are." 

Qrow walked with his hands in his pockets, seeming to struggle with what to say next. Then he stopped suddenly and looked straight ahead. She followed his gaze to see a rather pissed off looking Glynda Goodwitch. She noticed the glares the two exchanged. Qrow looked more guarded than angry. She could feel the tension between the two and excused herself without thinking twice. She hurried past Glynda who didn't even give her a passing glance. Whatever the case might be she had a feeling she was a part of it, even though she didn't want to be. 

_It's always about me in the worst way, isn't it?_

_Oh how it must be to be a Schnee._

Winter had a bad feeling about it. But she pushed that to the back of her mind as she arrived back at her dorm room. What day was it? Tuesday? Was it only Tuesday? When were classes let out for the Holiday? She realized she was distracting herself, was that a bad thing? She couldn't tell her teammates about her crush on Qrow or that he'd be taking her under his wing later. She was a mess of secrets and desires that she wasn't sure she could handle. She couldn't tell Qrow everything, he probably didn't care. Her new friends weren't close enough to be trusted. And of course there was her family, aloof, distant, and probably ready to disown her because she wasn't making the standards. 

She realized she had been sitting at her desk for ten minutes not doing anything. Nobody else seemed to notice because they were relaxing. Nadir was already sound asleep. Odette was reading. And Sage was asleep at the top bunk. She still had her scroll in her hand, thinking of what to do with it. Could she call her mother? Was she even sober at this hour? Her father would be no better; he wouldn't listen to her. Weiss? She was too young to know about things like this. Never mind Whitley. The awful truth started creeping up on her: she had some pretty serious issues. Winter carefully placed her scroll on her desk and folded her hands. _A Schnee indeed._

 _Maybe I should see a therapist?_ She considered going to one for a moment, but then she realized this could cause more problems than it would solve. Her family was full of secrets, some she knew and some she didn't. She didn't know how much she could share or should share with anyone. She considered keeping a diary but didn't want it to fall into the wrong hands. There must be a way to express her feelings...whatever they were. She felt a warmth between her legs again. That same uncomfortable feeling that made her curious. Maybe she could go to the Goody Basket again? She stole a glance at Nadir again who was still sort-of sleeping and wondered what chances she had with him. Odette had put away her book and pulled up her covers to take a nap. 

She heard Nadir get up and grunt and take himself to the bathroom. The door closed behind him with a quiet click. She kind of wanted to pick up from where she left off the other day, maybe she could have a little bit of fun with him. A young man that father wouldn't approve of? That was a little bit of excitement she could go for. She recalled Nadir wouldn't have sex with her, but maybe he'd do something else? She quietly stood up from her desk and padded across the room to the bathroom door and placed herself next to the frame so she looked like she was waiting for her turn.

The pounding in her chest started almost instantly. She heard the toilet flush and the water run from the sink. Then the footsteps and then the door opened. Winter quietly blocked the door, pushing him back into the room and carefully closing it behind her. She had to use some sort of charm, letting him know what she intended on doing. Nadir smirked faintly, as if he had been waiting for this but was still pleasantly surprised. She motioned him to follow her to the bathtub that was built into the wall and had a solid ledge for her to sit. 

He placed his hands on either side of her hips and brought his face near hers. She motioned by tapping her finger to her lips indicating she wanted a kiss...he complied, gladly. Their lips met gently, he was clearly experienced and didn't force it. Nadir pulled away slowly and gently, letting her regroup before going into another one shortly after. 

They were suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door. "Winter? Are you in there?" it was Odette calling.

"Yeah, I'm in here," she called over Namir's shoulder. Namir had to keep himself from laughing and buried his face in her thighs, shoulders heaving. Without thinking she turned on the water for the tub. "What's up?" she asked nonchalantly as she plugged the tub.  
"We were thinking about going to the Basket again, are you interested?" it was Sage this time.

"Yeah, count me in!" Winter was pretty excited at the notion of going back. 

"Sweet, we'll be back in a bit but we'll leave around 9pm or so. Is that good?" 

"Let's do that," Winter replied. She sucked in a breath as Nadir started pulling up her skirt. He sensed her resistance and stopped. Sitting back on his heels he watched her regain her bearings. "Sorry", she whispered; suddenly embarrassed that she couldn't handle him touching her like that. She closed her legs and smoothed her skirt over her thighs. He didn't seem disappointed, instead he laughed.

"Stupid virgin Schnee," he chuckled and shook his head.

"I---" she protested. He raised his hand.

"Don't worry about it. I knew you weren't ready for that kind of thing," he seemed serious.

"But---you always make fun of me!" Winter spat.

"And? It's not like I'm wrong. You're a virgin but you're a fucking moron to go on top of it, not my type," Nadir hand-waved and turned to leave, "You're not my type of woman." Those words stabbed her harder than they meant to, probably. Winter was dumbfounded. She almost wanted to cry...almost.  _I knew I wasn't special but...damn._

"Did you have to put it that way?" she felt her voice shake as she tried to keep her composure. Did she have a right to be angry right now? He was right about her though. Winter gritted her teeth, very much so vexed at the truth. Namir hadn't left yet, he was leaning against the door with his shoulder and one hand on the doorknob. 

"Did I have to?" he echoed, "Maybe not, but I'm tired of tiptoeing around the princess of the Schnee Dust Company." The tub was getting full, Winter noticed and turned it off. She glared at him. She didn't have a leg to stand on in this case.  _Well at least he's honest..._ she considered. Was she really happy when people pretended they liked her? She was sure they were still pretending, but Namir, he didn't do that anymore. Winter inhaled and exhaled. Namir seemed to brace himself for her tirade, but it never came. Instead she started unbuttoning her uniform shirt. 

She looked dead at him as one by one the buttons came undone and her shirt came open. She tossed it aside and released the button on her skirt and let it fall to the floor. His eyes watched the garment swish to the floor with a soft sound. His expression didn't change. He didn't seem amused or show much interest, he simply watched. Winter felt her heart starting to race as she realized what she was doing. She was undressing in front of a guy. Was she doing this for herself? Was she trying to impress him? 

Carefully she perched herself on the side of the tub and pulled off her sock, carefully taking it down from the top and pushing it off the tip of her toe. Namir watched with what seemed to be disregard; but upon closer inspection he seemed to be getting aroused. She could hear his breathing getting a bit heavier.  _If you're so disinterested, why don't you leave?_ She mused tauntingly. It must've shown on her face because he was changing his posture. He made all the movements suggesting that he was preparing to leave, but it seemed like he was taking his sweet time. 

Winter turned her back to him and started undoing her bra. Her imagination was running wild. What would he do to her? Would he come up behind her and grope her breasts? Would he touch her down there? She discarded the garment and let it slip to the floor. She considered looking back to the young man, seeing if he would advance to her but held her ground. She wouldn't look. She hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her panties and slowly tugged them down to her knees. She lifted one leg out and then the other. The sound of the band snapping delighted her. She was fully nude now. Would he come for her?

Reaching back she took out the pin that was keeping her hair back and let it unravel. While her arm was still up she risked a glance back. His hand was on the doorknob and he wasn't looking at her. Nadir turned the knob and let himself out into the bedroom, making sure to pull the door closed behind him. 

"Fuck," Winter cursed under her breath. She placed both of her hands on the side of the tub and looked at the hot water.  _What a massive letdown,_ she realized,  _But what exactly did you expect to happen? You don't have anything he wants!_ So her virginity was no such prize to the sexually active Namir. She looked at her reflection, pale and dull and...uninteresting. "Fuck," she whispered again. She didn't want to get in the tub, that meant she had time to think. She didn't want to think about anything that had just happened. 

"The water feels nice," she whispered.

...

Tonight she had bright red hair pulled back into a ponytail. Tonight her eyes were green. She had a mole on the left corner of her mouth. Winter walked with a purpose. She strolled through the streets with Sage and Odette. She felt a little bit different somehow. Maybe it was the embarrassment of how she stripped for Nadir but he turned her down that made her want to reclaim some sense of control. But Winter didn't have control, did she? Her thoughts soured as she reflected on her private humiliation. Odette and Sage didn't have a clue as to what transpired between her and the only male member of her team. 

Nobody needed to know anything, she mused as they gained entry. Nobody needed to know her name, where she was from, what her purpose was. Those were questions she was tired of not possessing any answers to. But inside the Goody Basket, she felt a little more free; even though the atmosphere was heavy with hedonism. If she could just focus on her breathing, everything could turn out just fine...maybe a little bit more exciting.

Her underwear was a bit plainer than before and she made her makeup a little bit childish. Periwinkle lips and soft rouged cheeks with dark smudged eye makeup worked for her. 

"We'll meet up in a few hours and see where we go from there, right?" Sage motioned to the front. Winter nodded before slinking off into the crowd. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to put my notes at the end of my chapters. You might want to read 10 and 11 again because I added some to each chapter.


	13. Cane of Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've been on too long of a haitus and it's time for me to get back into action. I haven't added anything to the last chapter besides fixing some spelling errors.

**Winter:**

Something about the Goody Basket made her understand why she was drawn to the place. This was the place she could run to when things went wrong. This was the place people came to when they wanted to forget themselves, or be someone else in her case. The heavy atmosphere made her want to choke a bit but she kept walking around in a bit of a daze. Why didn't she take a sip of liquor before she showed up? She rubbed her arms as she felt a chill go up her spine. Intuition told her to move somewhere else, curiosity told her to stay. What was trouble? What was danger? 

She could feel someone watching her from behind. Winter didn't dare turn around, that would be too obvious. She looked for a reflective surface to see who was behind her. She couldn't find one. Gingerly she looked to the left and found her peripheral vision and spotted a man sitting at a table with a cigar in his gloved hand. She turned her head some more and got a better view. He wasn't paying attention to her, good. He had a cane hooked in the crook of his arm and his other hand was swirling around the top of a whiskey glass. And then, as if sensing her gaze, he tore his eyes away from the other girl he was eyeing and matched her. 

The steel glare froze her in her tracks. She knew she looked vulnerable, alone, scared. And in a sense she was those things. And in a sense, he seemed to like that. A grin slowly broke out on his face and he beckoned her to him knowing she was compelled to come. His red hair obscured one eye while the other looked her over. Winter sauntered over, arms crossed over her breasts, clutching her arms. The man ground the cigar into the ashtray and rubbed his hands together, grinning all the while. Menacing, but handsome--this was a dangerous man. Winter could feel the obscenity in his gaze and the ill will in his aura. It wasn't too late to turn back now. She could turn around and run.  _Is that what a Schnee would do?_ But she wasn't a Schnee right now. She was nobody. What was a nobody like her afraid of. 

"Well well well well well," his voice boomed in approval, "You're quite the sight for sore eyes." He crossed one leg over the other playfully and leaned back in his chair getting a full view. Winter stood still and cocked her head to the side a little, not replying. "The silent type, huh?" he picked up his cane and caressed her thigh with it. The action made her shy away from it's shiny cold length. Her reluctance made him chuckle. "Such perfect skin, hardly a blemish on you," he appraised showing deep approval. With his cane he switched to her other thigh but not before poking her where her thighs came together. She squirmed uncomfortably. "Aaaaannnnd a virgin too," his expression soured a little. Once again another man who was repulsed by virginity. Was she not good enough? The offense she took surprised her.

 "I hate perfect things," he said more to himself than to her. He stood up and circled her, leaning on his cane even though he didn't need it. "I'll tell you what, you pretty thing---I'll pay you handsomely to let me ruin that skin of yours and hear your voice." 

Hear he voice? What did that mean?

As if sensing her question, he leaned in so his lips were by her ear. "I'm going to hurt you just enough to make you scream." An audible gasp escaped her lips and her eyes widened in horror at the prospect. The man let out an amused laugh. "I'm sure when you hear the price it won't seem so bad," he countered. He leaned in again and told her. When she heard the numbers she couldn't say no.

He lead her to an exclusive room that had fisticuffs hanging from the ceiling. Winter felt the urge to recant and leave, which she was totally free to do...but something made her want to stay. What was so attractive of the prospect of pain that made her willing to endure it? The chill she felt crawled up her legs into her belly and made her nipples hard. Was she excited by this?

"I won't hit anything above the waist," he explained as he restrained her arms above her head, "Your safeword is 'ice cream'. I'll do anything else you want me to, but I won't fuck you." That was oddly specific. "And before we begin, my name is Roman."

He took off a glove and took the opportunity to caress her face. He pressed a thumb against her lower lip and traced it gently. Her chest heaved a bit as she sucked in a breath. With one hand he undid her strapless bra and let it fall to the ground. The air hitting her bare skin was uncomfortable and her nipples were achingly hard. His gaze didn't leave her face and he instead groped her ass, feeling its firmness. 

Roman's expression was a bit unreadable in the beginning. He didn't seem interested in her body so much as making sure she was comfortable. With the tip of his cane he lifted her chin and gave her a deep kiss that tasted like smoke and sweets. It wasn't entirely unpleasant. 

He broke the kiss and stepped back a few steps and stepped behind her, out of her sight.

And then it began.

Whack! 

The first strike didn't so much hurt but made sound. Winter felt the sting on the back of her thighs but managed to keep her voice in. The second blow hurt a little bit more. Then the third came full force. It didn't just sting, it burned. 

Roman paused a moment, as if to inspect his work. He noticed the red line forming on the back of her thighs. It was perfect but he wanted to start at a new spot. He aimed higher to her ass that was covered by cream colored panties. Without bothering to remove them he delivered several symmetrical blows, admiring the way the jiggled when he struck and the way her body squirmed. 

At this point Winter cried out a bit. Her face felt hot and her eyes were starting to water. This was a spanking she was experiencing. Her parents had never spanked her as a child, opting instead for humiliation and extra hard lessons. This pain was something new to her. No one dared raise a hand against her but here as a nameless young woman she could experience what it was like to be struck without fear of consequences. Roman didn't know who she was.

All those thoughts scattered when a new wave of blows began, causing her to dance against her restraints which only made him strike harder. 

"You've made my marks uneven," he scolded, "now I'll have to begin again." He sighed as if mildly inconvenienced and started again. This time they were of uneven harshness, sometimes almost gentle other times more sadistic. They didn't stop coming.

In the midst of the pain she thought about how everyone was so careful not to cause her any. Her teachers rarely scolded her. She was rarely made responsible for her own shortcomings and mistakes. Her parents gave her everything she wanted. All the sweets, clothes, and trinkets her heart desired. Everyone told her what she wanted to hear, minimizing her pain and increasing her misery without knowing it. The pain was honesty. The honesty that Qrow showed her. The honesty of Nadir and Odette and Sage she  _craved_. For too long she wanted someone to strike her with sincerity, to hurt her with the truth. And Roman, with no knowledge of who she was, was giving her  _exactly_ what she wanted. With each blow and increasing pain, the daughter of Schnee was experiencing more honesty in this session than she had in her entire life. 

Roman enjoyed the way her breasts shook and heaved when she cried out. Her scream was very pretty to him. He paused once to caress a bare breasts and thumb the nipple but did nothing else. His interest in her seemed to be more than a passing sexual conquest.  She couldn't see him through her teary vision. She could only hear when he stepped behind her to strike again.

Ten minutes passed before he stopped. Winter's broken sobs were the only thing to be heard. Her voice was hoarse and it hurt to stand.

"There there now, Pretty," he cooed as he wiped her tears and undid the cuffs, "That wasn't so bad, was it? You handled it quite well." He was...praising her? Winter hiccuped as he gathered her into his arms and sank to the floor. Winter couldn't help but rest her head onto his chest as her sobbing slowed. Her nose was beginning to run but Roman caught it in time with a handkerchief. He let her hold it and blow her nose herself (thankfully) and lightly caressed her hair. "You didn't use the safeword at all, which is interesting. Are you a natural born masochist?" he tilted her chin up and looked deep into her eyes. He must not have seen the answer he was looking for so he released her chin while holding the rest of her. 

Whether it was meant to be an intimate moment or not was uncertain but she felt a slight appreciation for it. And when Roman left her the money he promised...well...

Winter went home grinning. 

She was careful to conceal her legs on the way home but was barely even able to contain her excitement over the money she gained. The other two girls were unaware of her large winnings and she intended to keep it that way, sort of. Once she was in the bathroom alone she admired Roman's handiwork. The bruises that decorated her skin in black and blue blotches were in a sense...beautiful. He did indeed ruin her skin just as he planned. The water did little to help her muscles and ease the pain. She had to rely on some painkillers to stop the swelling.

The next day Winter wore black stockings.

**Qrow:**

If Winter thought Qrow wasn't going to notice she wore opaque black stockings, she thought wrong. The seasons were starting to turn and there was a chill in the air, her wearing stockings wasn't surprising. That and her movements seemed like she was in pain. Ever since that incident at his apartment where he put his arms around her for the first and (hopefully) the last time he had rightfully kept his distance. He wisely kept out of her life and only checked in to see her progressing with friendships and grades. He had to continue training in his spare time, occasionally coming in for a class or two to demonstrate for the students. Some were pretty promising. 

Him training again was allowing him to avoid Glynda. Any problems or frustration she might have could be dealt with by the more level-headed Ozpin or more empathetic Ironwood. He had more pressing matters. That information that Glynda gave him, that he was a distraction so someone else could do the spying, irked him endlessly. He knew that he couldn't lose his cool and start making demands. He had to trust his friends and leaders. 

Trust.

Ozpin was trusting him to train Winter. Just how was he supposed to do that?

"---a location yet, Qrow?" Ozpin's voice shook him out of his thoughts.

"I'm sorry, I missed that?" he replied in a slightly uncharacteristic manner.

"Have you decided on a training location yet?" Glynda repeated for him.

"I was kinda hoping you'd do that for me," his gaze returned to Ozpin at his desk, "I will train her my way, but I want to be given parameters to work with."

"You mean, something you can go against?" he was corrected by Ironwood who had just exited the elevator at an uncharacteristic time.

"You know me, Metalhead," Qrow decided to tread lightly. He was not in the mood to upstart, not with the suddenly uncomfortable sexual tension that entered the room.The three individuals caught in a love triangle kept trading glances at each other. That was his cue to leave.

"I'll have a better answer by tomorrow," Qrow remarked as he turned heel and sauntered off the elevator and opened his flask. At the bottom he spotted Winter about to board. "I wouldn't go up there right now if I were you." She looked confused. He breezed past her without responding.

"Why not?" she countered, backing away and falling in step with him.

"Those people," he jabbed a thumb back at the tower, "Have something serious going on. You won't like showing up in the middle of it." This seemed to satisfy her as she asked nothing else. He couldn't help but notice a bit of bruising on her wrists even though she made a great effort to hide them with her extra long sleeves. It worked on most people, but not him. But before he could ask she broke rank and ran off to what he presumed to be class. He stopped and watched her leave and snorted to himself. He had a hunch something was up.

At the bar he downed four drinks and studied a few of the possible areas that were popular training grounds. He needed a place for Winter to stay when they traveled to and from the training grounds. Funding wasn't likely to be an issue, but he still had a bad feeling about this. His mind flashed back to him putting his arms around her and holding her close to him. That kind of intimacy was... _rare_. 

Speaking of Winter, he sent her a message:  _I saw your wrists, is everything good?_ He expected a response in a few hours but it came instantly.

_I'm fine._

In that moment Qrow knew everything was most certainly not fine.


	14. Roundabout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is only half a chapter, so stay tuned for more! When chapter 15 comes out, make sure to check back here for added parts you may have missed.

**Winter:**

He knew. She knew he knew. In spite of the measures she had taken, he saw. He saw her wrists. In spite of wearing long sleeves and a cardigan, he had somehow seen them. And now he was asking questions, well, it was just one question. But he didn't believe her. Winter's pulse quickened at the thought. She was in the library researching on the history of semblances. She knew about her glyphs but felt she wasn't using them to her full advantage. But none of that seemed to matter as she was greatly distracted by the recent events. 

Last night had given her a sort of excitement and relief she hadn't felt before. Roman had somehow brought out a side of her that she had been keeping under wraps. And Qrow noticing her marks gave her another sense of excitement. Part of her wanted to show him her thighs and have him trace the bruises with his fingers...

She closed the book suddenly and shuddered, squeezing her thighs together. 

_Such perfect skin, hardly a blemish on you._

_I hate perfect things._

His voice was in her ears. Her heart sped up again. She felt a small pounding between her thighs, a desire that was growing bit by bit. 

 _"Ah, not now. Can't it wait?"_ Her body was beginning to feel the aches of desire. Winter carefully made her way to the front of the library and checked out the book and went to her dorm. On the way she narrowly avoided Qrow who seemed to be looking for her. Now would be a bad time to get caught. She saw him from the back down one of the hallways and cautiously snuck past him. 

Her dorm was empty, but she had no idea how long she had until her roommates returned. If only she was in a more secluded area like Qrow's apartment...

_Ah fuck..._

Thoughts filled her head as she felt her cheeks flush. 

 _I can't masturbate here._ _Not even the bathroom..._

The bathroom!

She grabbed a change of clothes and locked the bathroom door behind her...just in time to hear her scroll ring. It was her father. All feelings vanished and the desperation halted.

"Hello Father," she answered properly. 

"Winter," came the curt reply, "Have you picked out a date for this Holiday's party?" She bit her tongue. She had forgotten all about the Winter Holiday Party her family threw every year. Her heart sank as she realized she had asked no one in advance. On top of that there was no 'How are you?' or even a nice 'Hello Winter'.

"I-I'm afraid I put too much work into studying. I hadn't found the time to ask anyone." It was the truth. So much had happened, so much had been studied. She had only just now finding out how to really build relationships. 

When there came no reply she added, "I am willing to attend with whoever you find suitable," she took a deep breath, knowing she would regret those words.

"Very well then. Your classes end next week. I'll have someone come and get you. You'll need to be fitted for your attire. That is all." Then he hung up. No 'I love you' no 'Take care' no concern. Winter looked down at the scroll CALL ENDED 1:30. The numbers blinked and started to blur as she realized that she was crying. No sounds. No sobbing. Just pure tears. 

She stood staring at her scroll for a while, mind blank and heart achingly empty. Winter finally wiped the tears off the face of her scroll and sat down at her desk.  She put her head in her left hand, using it to rub her forehead. There was no way to process this. She had known from the very beginning she was an unloved child. A child born in hopes that it would make a sham of a marriage seem more genuine. In vain she had hoped that by excelling she could prove she had value, except no one cared. Except Weiss. Weiss cared a little. Yet somehow...somehow she hoped it wasn't entirely true. Somehow in spite of all the lack of attention she figured someday she could earn something resembling favor.

It hurt. It hurt a lot.

 ...

_All this shit and it's only Monday._

Winter slowed her breathing, carefully counting to ten as she went to the bathroom and stood in the shower, making it as hot as she could stand. Her mind was stuck on the one-way phone call she had received. She'd be making an appearance at a holiday party she didn't have any interest in being seen at. She was the heir to the Schnee Dust Company, so appearances were going to be important. It didn't matter if she was the unfavorite child and couldn't sing. Her parents seemed to favor Weiss more based on that sole fact alone. Even with rigorous voice lessons her alto couldn't compare to her sister's soprano. 

Classes were over for the day so she tied her hair up in a sloppy bun and wore an oversized sweater and leggings. Her face showed no trace that she had been crying--she hoped--and her mind was a bit clearer. She left the dorm and went straight to Merry's and ordered a stack of pancakes. She chomped on the buttery, syrupy goodness and thought about what life would be like if she wasn't the heir. What if she gave it up? Her virginity, her parent's fortune, her Schnee name.

_What if..._

Her scroll rang and it was Qrow on the line asking about a meeting with the Headmasters again. This time it was urgent. She paid for her meal and set off for the tower.

She never got to finish that thought.

**Qrow:**

The Schnee girl arrived with a disheveled appearance, as if she had just woken up. She was rather nonchalant about it as she stood carefully in front of the headmasters. Ozpin was slightly amused at the sight of Winter no longer giving a shit. Glynda seemed to share the sentiment. 

"I was told this was urgent," Winter stated first, "I was just contacted by my father about the Holiday Ball that will be occurring later in the season. He's picking me up next week." 

Silence.

"Do you want to attend this...shindig?" Ozpin replied straightforward. 

"I don't want anything to do with my family," Winter replied flatly, "But as long as I'm dependent on my parent's fortune I'll have to make an appearance. I don't think they'll notice if I'm gone shortly after." Qrow studied her body language. She had her hands folded in front of her and her legs were crossed as she stood. Her eyes seemed a bit puffy as if she had been crying, but she smelled like she had just gotten out of the shower. 

More silence.

He coughed. "Well, I'm willing to postpone your training to accommodate your family's gathering."  _Wow, I sound wayyyy too professional right now._ He brushed it off as him cleaning up his act. Being profane had its time and place.

Ozpin nodded, "Do you have the itinerary prepared?" Qrow fished out a folder from his satchel and handed it to the bespectacled man. It had taken some research. He had to calculate the distance from the training grounds to a nearby township as well as a hospital available. He also had to pick a township that had a cheerful reputation. Negative emotions attracted Grimm.

"I've arranged for Snowy over here to stay in her own room at a lodging facility. I'll be staying a few floors down." Propriety was always going to be an issue, he had to be smart. Glynda seemed to approve of his choice but her expression said something different. He never did figure out what happened with her and James and Ozpin. Judging by the lack of tenseness in the atmosphere he'd be inclined to believe it all went well.  _Things are never what they seem to be, Qrow._ He told himself. He didn't turn to look at Winter when he continued. "I'll be making daily check-ins and sending progress reports, if you will." He did not sound like himself at all.

"That professionalism is unlike you, Qrow," Ozpin noted. Qrow coughed and pulled out his flask and drank deeply.

"I'm just not drunk yet," he replied.

...

The meeting was over without incident.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit hard to write because it hits a tad close to home. Hopefully I can flesh it out more and add humorous elements. I hope you all like this one!


	15. Born and Razed

**Winter:**

The day she was picked up from campus came way sooner than she was hoping for. Winter stood in the lot waiting for the airship to arrive with all its fanfare. It did not disappoint in making a scene but nobody cared. Which was fortunate for her because the last thing she felt like enduring were stares and tittering. Naturally, her parents weren't actually on the ship and the ride home was quiet and uncomfortable. She never knew how to relax in the household. The mansion felt emptier than usual. When her bags were dropped off in the room and tea was served she could only sit and think about her future training, which was the only thing she could think about. 

She had just decided to move in and be comfortable when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" she bellowed, not bothering to look up from the items she was setting out on the tea table. Report card (perfect grades of course). Collectors coins for various tasks. Silver snowflake hair decorations with crystals in them. 

"Winter?" Weiss' voice came gingerly as she opened the door. At the sound of her sister's voice Winter finally lifted up her head and stood up. Her sister stood there, hands folded, barely able to contain her excitement. Her knees were shaking from the contained emotion. Winter couldn't pretend to be unhappy when Weiss was around. Winter stood up and walked over to her sister with open arms.

"I'm home Weiss," she barely choked out before Weiss dashed forward and snatched her up in her arms. Weiss' hugs were the best. Winter rested her chin on top of Weiss' head and gratefully hugged her back. "Okay that's enough," Winter pulled away and redirected her to the still-hot tea on the table. "Let's have tea."

Having tea was their favorite activity to do together. There was no competition, no pretending, just brief honesty and being themselves.

"How were classes this year?" Weiss began right off the bat.

"About what I expected. Studying over the summer holidays was a good idea, it put me ahead of the curve."

"So you're a genius then?" Wiess quipped with eyebrows raised as she sipped from her teacup. Winter gave a bitter laugh.

"If only that were the case. I'm only good if I study. I don't have a natural talent for learning." Winter traced the top of her cup with a carefully manicured finger. She thought about how much work she was putting into her classes. She was only succeeding through hard work. Talent played no part in it, that was unless you counted money. She thought about how much money she had saved up that she was supposed to use to bribe teachers for grades and her heart sank deeply once again. "But I succeed nonetheless," she added in afterthought but forgot to smile.

Weiss sensed the pain in her voice and tried to change the subject, "So...did anything interesting happen this semester?" Winter's mind instantly flashed back to all the events that had transpired. Meeting Qrow, trying to seduce Namir, her summoning an ursa, her times at the Goody Basket. Winter paused before responding.

"Some...things did happen this semester. I tried being friends with my teammates, I'm...getting there. I managed to summon an ursa somehow during a practice match."  _That was omitting a lot of detail there Winter._  She thought to herself as she majored in the minor details of school without revealing anything important. Perhaps it was because she didn't trust her sister? Weiss was growing up, but she didn't seem to be ready to handle the truths she had to tell. Maybe she'd tell her later? She stirred her tea.  _Yes, later is good._

About an hour later, the family tailor came by with several select outfits and 3 gowns for her to try on.

The first two were extremely stuffy to wear. One gown had a high collar that made breathing a bit difficult and a stiff bodice that straightened her back almost absurdly. Another gown had too full of a skirt and was clearly meant to be ornamental. And of course the fabric for all of them was completely blindingly white. It made her sick to look at it. The last two were manageable except they were both low cut which she might not have minded if her chest hadn't grown. She had been too busy to notice that a year brought even more changes to her body.  _I suppose I'm grown up now_ , she mused sourly as she attempted to adjust her chest. "The bust needs to be taken out and the neckline should come up a few inches. I'm too close to a disaster here," the tailor nodded and took some notes.

"I think you look great!" Weiss exclaimed, "It shows off your figure quite well!"

"Exquisite as I may be, I'll die before our father marries me off to the first tw--trifling fellow that's only looking at my chest," she remembered her manners just in time. Swearing was not something a Schnee engaged in on the regular. Anything beyond a few "hell's" or "damn's" in a single conversation was considered vulgar. But little did anyone really know just how vulgar she had become. And she was just getting started.

...

Dinner just consisted of her and Weiss. Whitely was nowhere to be found for the time being. And their mother was likely passed out from yet another drinking binge; or at the very least, she was resting. The meal passed by with lukewarm conversation overshadowed by the elephant in the room that was only growing larger. This wasn't a family dinner. Winter put down her fork with a soft clink. "Let's eat with Mother," she said resolutely, "I can't stand this anymore." Weiss was more than happy to oblige, gathering her plate and utensils. Klein seemed to have already picked up the idea and arrived with a trolley cart with extra food.

"I've even added dessert on the bottom for the three of you," he added with a gentle smile. 

The way to their mother's room was a nervous one. Winter hated to admit it, but sometimes she pretended her mother didn't exist. Talking to her felt like trying to communicate with the dead. Her mother was rarely conscious or sober enough to have a conversation with and never replied to any of her scroll messages. What was she hoping to accomplish by having a "family dinner"? Was one dinner going to fix years of dysfunction?

Winter opened the door to the room gently, not bothering to knock. The lamplight was low and the scent of alcohol wafted from every corner of the room, even though it was spotless. It was nice to see that Klein had been watching over her while Winter had been away. She stole a glance at Weiss who was pale-faced and silent. Winter swallowed before turning her attention to the bed where a figure lay.

"Hello, Mother," her voice came out choked and dry. The figure stirred. As they drew closer she could make out the features of her mother's face. Pale skin, long white hair that had been done up earlier that day but had since collapsed, and eyes so empty they had neither sadness nor tiredness...just resignation. Without bothering to pretend to be happy Winter pulled up two chairs and a small table. "We brought dinner for you," she forced herself to continue. Her mother's face was unreadable at the moment, likely still in a stupor. But in spite of this, she sat up and sighed.

"M-mom?" Weiss squeaked as she tiptoed towards the bed, reaching out gingerly for her mother's hand. The woman lifted her fingers to accept Weiss' hand but didn't speak. A few long moments passed before anyone said another word. The fog of the stupor seemed to dissipate when Winter began uncovering the food and the wafting aroma reached everyone's senses.

"I'm sure you're hungry?" Winter tried, her mother's eyes turned to her and they immediately softened. A small smile gathered at the corners of her mouth, and then she nodded.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just the beginning of the chapter. I'm hashing this out right before work so I promise there will be more!


	16. Born and Razed 2

**Winter:**

Of course a dinner with her mother wasn't going to fix the deeper problems that were already running deep in their family. But the meal was  _something_ , not a start. In her room that night she sat on her bed with her scroll, wanting to talk to someone but was afraid of being heard. She wanted to talk to Qrow. She wanted to see him again. Her body was aching once more, the kind of longing that gave her discomfort. She thought about his hands, his scent, his voice. She could message him, but what would she say? The light from her scroll illuminated her tired face as she stared at the empty message screen.

 **Hello?** She typed and pressed send. That was a safe start, wasn't it? A few moments later the reply came.

**Qrow: What's _up, Snowy?_**

**Winter _: I've been...thinking about you._** There was no response for several minutes, her heart raced.

**Qrow: Winter...**

Not the response she was hoping for. She knew how he wanted her to hate him and she was put under his care in spite of that. In spite of everything, she was drawn to him. She  _wanted_ him. Winter thought about the consequences that would follow if she discarded everything. What would happen if she threw away the Schnee name? What would happen without influencers and luxury safety nets to catch her whenever she screwed up? What would Weiss think, her only sister?

_Stupid virgin Schnee._

Perhaps she was being stupid. At nineteen years old, what did she know about anything? She was a virgin, horribly inexperienced, and amazingly naive. Was there nothing that would give her clarity? She tossed the scroll to the foot of her bed and rubbed her forehead in thought.  _Stupid virgin Schnee._ The insult rang in her ears horribly. She crawled across the bed and picked up her scroll again. Still no reply. She considered sending him a picture of herself, wondering what he would do in response.

Winter tapped the scroll on her chin, considering the consequences of her actions. She got up and padded her way to her bathroom and looked in the mirror.  _What if I just sent him a cleavage shot?_   _That would be kind of tasteful--rather than being fully nude?_ She looked at her reflection in the mirror, then back at her scroll.  _Maybe I've been too risky already._ Her thoughts gathered and rested heavily on the side of caution. Now was not the time for things like this.

Winter turned off the light and went back to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its been a while but I'm coming back! I'll be adding onto this later but I wanted to share another blurb in the story! I've also added more to the last chapter so go back and give it a read-over!


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